IPOH, January 14 — A former chairman of a welfare non-governmental organisation (NGO) was charged in the Sessions Court here today with 10 counts of misusing approximately RM630,000 in funds meant for humanitarian missions abroad.

Mohd Hakim Mohd Nor, 39, the former chairman of Pertubuhan Kebajikan Serantau Muslim, pleaded not guilty to all charges when they were read before Judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi.

These new charges follow similar ones filed against him in Kuala Lumpur and Melaka earlier this week, bringing the total number of allegations to a significant level.

Mohd Hakim is accused of committing the latest offences at several banks in Ipoh, Batu Gajah, and Seri Iskandar between January 2018 and December 2021. The funds were allegedly intended for humanitarian missions to Myanmar, Yemen, Syria, and Palestine.

All charges were framed under Section 403 of the Penal Code for dishonest misappropriation of property, which carries a sentence of up to five years in jail, whipping, and a fine upon conviction.

During the proceedings, Mohd Hakim’s counsel, Azizzul Shariman Mat Yusoff, requested that the Ipoh cases be transferred to the Melaka Sessions Court to be heard jointly with the related matters there. He also successfully applied for the bail of RM35,000 previously granted in Melaka to be extended to cover the present charges.

The prosecution, led by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy public prosecutor Muaz Ahmad Khairuddin, did not object to the requests. The court set March 13 for the next mention date in Melaka.