KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — Datuk Hasanah Abdul Hamid was tasked with maintaining and fostering goodwill among intelligence agencies including Malaysia’s allies during her tenure as Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation (MEIO), a witness told the High Court today.
Prime Minister Department’s Research Division Director of Economic Intelligence Directorate Kamarudin Muda testified that Hasanah was appointed director-general of MEIO or the Research Division, Prime Minister’s Department on January 20, 2014.
Testifying as the second witness in Hasanah’s RM50.4 million criminal breach of trust trial, Kamarudin said Hasanah was reappointed to her existing post until June 30, 2018 after her tenure had officially ended on May 22, 2017 when she retired mandatorily.
“Among the duties and responsibilities of the accused as director-general of the division is to ensure the division’s effectiveness in achieving its objectives including the supervision and management of foreign intelligence gathering both overt and covert to be presented to the Prime Minister for policy-making.
“She is also tasked with maintaining a cordial relationship with intelligence and security agencies with other countries and Malaysia’s allies as approved by the prime minister.
“In addition, she is also responsible for executing specific operations as ordered by the prime minister,” he said in his witness statement.
Other duties included giving her input and playing a key role in security-related matters at both foreign and domestic levels.
He also revealed that due to the nature of Hasanah’s job scope, she was also accorded a permanent seating in the National Security Council (NSC) chaired by the prime minister.
Kamarudin also affirmed that the aforementioned responsibilities were maintained during Hasanah’s contractual tenure as the Research Division’s director-general.
On October 25, 2018, Hasanah pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court to a CBT charge involving RM50.4 million belonging to the Malaysian government.
Hasanah, in her capacity as a civil servant, is alleged to have committed the offence at the office of the director-general, Research Division, Prime Minister’s Department Complex, Federal Government Administrative Centre in Putrajaya between April 30 and May 9, 2018.
She was charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and whipping and fine, upon conviction.
