Kuala lumpur: Former Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz testified in the High Court today regarding minute notes issued by then Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin concerning the Jana Wibawa programme. Tengku Zafrul explained that these minutes were directives requiring consideration and follow-up action, though they did not constitute direct instructions to approve specific projects.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Tengku Zafrul, 53, shared his insights based on his experience as finance minister, stating that a minute from the prime minister was a directive that warranted attention because of Muhyiddin's position at the time. "Usually, a minute from the Prime Minister is a directive that requires us to take action. Otherwise, the machinery of government would not be able to function," he noted during re-examination by Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin in the trial of Muhyiddin, who faces seven charges of abuse of power and money laundering.
Tengku Zafrul emphasized that every minute note or letter from Muhyiddin was given due consideration but did not automatically result in the approval of a project. He also referred to minute notes written by Muhyiddin on letters of support for five companies connected to the North Klang District Police Headquarters project in Selangor.
During the trial, Tengku Zafrul clarified that if the prime minister had issued a directive stating that a matter did not require consideration, they would not pursue it. He concluded his testimony, highlighting adherence to due process in government directives.
Additionally, Tengku Zafrul's former senior private secretary, Datuk Wan Murtadza Wan Mahmud, testified about a memorandum from the Secretary of the Government Procurement Division concerning the proposed appointment of 54 contractors under the Jana Wibawa programme. Wan Murtadza explained that the companies listed were selected by the Prime Minister's Office, not the Ministry of Finance.
Muhyiddin, 79, is accused of abusing his position to secure RM225.3 million for his party from various companies related to the Jana Wibawa programme. The alleged offences occurred at the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya between March 2020 and August 2021. He faces charges under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
The trial, presided over by Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin, is set to resume tomorrow.