KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 2 — Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin abused his powers as a prime minister when he acted to help Bumiputera contractors to eventually get government projects under the Jana Wibawa programme, an anti-corruption investigator told the High Court.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) senior assistant commissioner Mazery Mohd Zaini, who was the investigating officer for Muhyiddin’s case, said this while testifying as the 29th prosecution witness in the latter’s power abuse trial.
Mazery said he had also previously investigated Bumiputera Contractors Association of Malaysia (PKBM) president and KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Seri Azman Yusoff as a suspect in a corruption case.
Mazery confirmed that Azman was not remanded or charged in that case.
Mazery explained that this was because investigations showed that the businessman had given money to Muhyiddin’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia after being asked to do so by the then Prime Minister.
“Yes, I investigated this complaint which stated that Datuk Azman Yusoff had asked for and received bribes from companies as a reward for helping those companies receive Jana Wibawa projects,” he told lead prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin.
“Based on the investigations, it was found there was abuse of power by the prime minister at that time, where he had helped by instructing the finance minister to handle applications by companies,” he said, adding that Azman was then made into a witness instead.
When asked by Wan Shaharuddin to explain why he said Muhyiddin had abused his powers as prime minister, Mazery said this was due to Muhyiddin’s actions in relation to companies who were applying for Jana Wibawa projects.
“Because of his action at that time, instructing the finance minister to help companies who applied and subsequently the companies which were successfully helped made donations. Companies which successfully obtained projects had donated to the party Bersatu,” Mazery said.
Muhyiddin was prime minister from March 1, 2020 until Aug 20, 2021.
Muhyiddin’s lawyer Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik immediately objected to Mazery’s testimony that claimed his client had abused his powers as prime minister, saying that this should be left to the High Court to conclude.
While Hisyam asked for this part of Mazery’s testimony to be expunged or removed from court records, High Court judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin said it does not have to be expunged as it involved the investigator’s investigations.
Recording Hisyam’s objections, the judge said she will make her own conclusions: “But it’s not binding on the court, I have to make my own finding.”
Golf allowed during Covid-19 lockdown in Malaysia
Previously, Azman as the 27th prosecution witness said he had in July 2020 joined the Tan Sri Muhyiddin Charity Golf (TSMCG) golf tournament at Tropicana Golf Club in the morning, before attending a one-on-one meeting with Muhyiddin at 3pm at the club on the same day.
Azman said Muhyiddin had in the meeting spontaneously told him that contractors could donate directly to Bersatu, and that Muhyiddin had also told him about the Jana Wibawa programme then.
Muhyiddin’s lawyer Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad had previously challenged Azman’s testimony about the July 2020 golfing event by saying that the TSMCG tournament only took place in October 2020.
Yesterday, Tropicana Golf Club’s security chief Saravanan Subaramaniam told the High Court that the club’s computer system showed that Muhyiddin and 14 other players including an “Azman” had played a golf game there on July 19, 2020.
Today, Mazery said he was informed on July 23, 2026 by his fellow MACC investigator about the exact date of this golf game, namely July 19, 2020.
Mazery told Wan Shaharuddin that he had not received any notice of alibi from Muhyiddin’s lawyers to show where their client was on July 19, 2020.
Mazery confirmed that he had seen Muhyiddin’s May 1, 2020 speech, where the Malaysian government had allowed golf to be played amid the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mazery read out an excerpt of that speech, where Malaysians were told that outdoor sports such as jogging, cycling, playing golf and running in small groups not exceeding 10 persons were allowed, with the condition that they practise social distancing.
Previously, Muhyiddin’s lawyer Amer had also challenged Azman by saying that sports were not allowed during the Movement Control Order (MCO) in May 2020, but Azman said playing golf while maintaining social distancing was already allowed in May 2020.
In this trial, Muhyiddin is facing seven charges, namely four counts of alleged power abuse to obtain RM225.3 million in bribes for his party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (from Nepturis Sdn Bhd, Datuk Seri Azman Yusoff, KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd, Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd and Mamfor Sdn Bhd), and three counts of alleged money laundering involving money that Bersatu received from Bukhary Equity.
The trial is scheduled to resume tomorrow, with Azman expected to be further cross-examined by Muhyiddin’s lawyers.
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