Dr M also received RM2.6mil in political donation, says witness
Dr Mahathir Mohamad was given RM2.6 million as a political donation for Bersatu after he was appointed prime minister for the second time in 2018, the High Court was told.
SHAH ALAM: Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been named as one of the individuals who received RM2.6 million as political donations from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) for his then Bersatu party after the 14th general election (GE14).
Former UKSB administrative manager David Tan told the High Court in Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption trial the money was passed to Mahathir’s nephew, Rahmat Abu Bakar.
However, Tan said during cross-examination by Zahid’s lawyer, Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, he was unsure if Rahmat was a director of Giromakro Sdn Bhd.
Zaidi: Why make a donation of RM2.6 million to Rahmat?
Tan: As a political fund for Mahathir and Bersatu.
The money was said to have been given to Rahmat after Pakatan Harapan (PH) was voted into power after the May 9, 2018 general election and Mahathir was appointed the prime minister for the second time.
On June 17, Tan had testified that the home minister under the PH administration, Muhyiddin Yassin, had also received RM1.3 million from UKSB.
Elaborating on the matter today, he said the money was passed to SHH Resources Bhd director Teo Wee Cheng, who was Muhyiddin’s close friend.
“The money was also given as a political donation to assist Muhyiddin,” he said.
Zaidi: Did the accused (Zahid) also receive political funds from UKSB?
Tan: Yes.
Zaidi: Do you see Mahathir and Muhyiddin sitting beside the accused (Zahid) in the dock?
Tan: No.
The 17th prosecution witness had also said the payments were made to “ministers, politicians and government servants” as he kept a ledger of payments made between 2014 and 2018 in spreadsheet files in his laptop.
Filed under code names, he had named former Sabah chief minister Shafie Apdal, former foreign minister Anifah Aman and former deputy foreign minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican as among the other recipients.
However, Tan did not specify the amount of money paid to Shafie, Anifah and Reezal Merican.
UKSB was the firm that handled the foreign visa system (VLN) for Chinese tourists. It was appointed by the government in 2016.
The company was implicated in the case against Zahid, the former deputy prime minister and home minister standing trial on 33 corruption charges.
Previously, the court heard testimony from former UKSB directors Harry Tan and Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani, in which they said the company made millions in cash payments, in Singapore dollars, to Zahid from 2014 to 2018 over the VLN contract.
Wan Quoris told the court the financial assistance to Zahid was aimed at strengthening their position as a home ministry contractor.
He said that with the assistance, UKSB had not just secured support from Zahid but also managed to reduce competitive disruption from other companies running the same business.
The hearing before judge Yazid Mustafa continues.
SHAH ALAM: Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been named as one of the individuals who received RM2.6 million as political donations from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) for his then Bersatu party after the 14th general election (GE14).
Former UKSB administrative manager David Tan told the High Court in Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption trial the money was passed to Mahathir’s nephew, Rahmat Abu Bakar.
However, Tan said during cross-examination by Zahid’s lawyer, Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, he was unsure if Rahmat was a director of Giromakro Sdn Bhd.
Zaidi: Why make a donation of RM2.6 million to Rahmat?
Tan: As a political fund for Mahathir and Bersatu.
The money was said to have been given to Rahmat after Pakatan Harapan (PH) was voted into power after the May 9, 2018 general election and Mahathir was appointed the prime minister for the second time.
On June 17, Tan had testified that the home minister under the PH administration, Muhyiddin Yassin, had also received RM1.3 million from UKSB.
Elaborating on the matter today, he said the money was passed to SHH Resources Bhd director Teo Wee Cheng, who was Muhyiddin’s close friend.
“The money was also given as a political donation to assist Muhyiddin,” he said.
Zaidi: Did the accused (Zahid) also receive political funds from UKSB?
Tan: Yes.
Zaidi: Do you see Mahathir and Muhyiddin sitting beside the accused (Zahid) in the dock?
Tan: No.
The 17th prosecution witness had also said the payments were made to “ministers, politicians and government servants” as he kept a ledger of payments made between 2014 and 2018 in spreadsheet files in his laptop.
Filed under code names, he had named former Sabah chief minister Shafie Apdal, former foreign minister Anifah Aman and former deputy foreign minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican as among the other recipients.
However, Tan did not specify the amount of money paid to Shafie, Anifah and Reezal Merican.
UKSB was the firm that handled the foreign visa system (VLN) for Chinese tourists. It was appointed by the government in 2016.
The company was implicated in the case against Zahid, the former deputy prime minister and home minister standing trial on 33 corruption charges.
Previously, the court heard testimony from former UKSB directors Harry Tan and Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani, in which they said the company made millions in cash payments, in Singapore dollars, to Zahid from 2014 to 2018 over the VLN contract.
Wan Quoris told the court the financial assistance to Zahid was aimed at strengthening their position as a home ministry contractor.
He said that with the assistance, UKSB had not just secured support from Zahid but also managed to reduce competitive disruption from other companies running the same business.
The hearing before judge Yazid Mustafa continues.
This is called the Tai Zhi defence.....sorry doesn't work in the Malaysian Court system...
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