Why Muhyiddin’s Boy Escaped Jail – Anwar’s Secret Deal To Form Next Government With Bersatu

Why Muhyiddin’s Boy Escaped Jail – Anwar’s Secret Deal To Form Next Government With Bersatu


August 30th, 2025 by financetwitter



Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad was supposed to face 12 charges of corruption and money laundering. He was charged for soliciting a cash bribe of between 3.5% and 7% of a road construction project worth RM47.8 million from Mat Jusoh Mamat, the managing director of MIE Infrastructure & Energy Sdn Bhd. That amounted to between RM1,673,000 and RM3,346,000.


In addition, Adam Radlan received RM2.1 million from Mat Jusoh for a separate roadwork project from Jalan Sg Adam to Kg Banat, Perlis. Adam also faced another charge of accepting a bribe of RM500,000 from Mat Jusoh as an inducement to help the company secure the same project. But that was not all the kickbacks solicited and received by Mr Adam.



He was also charged with soliciting RM2 million in bribes from Lian Tan Chuan to help Lian’s company Nepturis Sdn Bhd to obtain a contract in the Klang Utara district for its head office from the government, worth RM141 million. Additionally, Adam faced two counts of receiving RM4.1 million in bribes from Lian Tan Chuan and Mat Jusoh for helping Nepturis and MIE obtain two similar Jana Wibawa projects.



On top of that, Adam Radlan also faced seven money-laundering charges amounting to more than RM3 million under Section 4(1)(b) of AMLA. Altogether, the corruption charges amounted to about RM15 million. If he had been found guilty, he would have faced a maximum of 15 years’ jail time and a fine of not less than five times the sum of the unlawful activity or RM5 million, whichever is the higher.



Essentially, Adam could be jailed for 15 years or fined RM75 million (five times the bribe amount). Yet, the lucky crook got away after he paid a RM4.1 million compound over the corruption and money-laundering charges on August 18, 2025. Exactly why the Attorney General’s Chambers accepted a bad deal – RM15 million bribes forgiven with just RM4 million fines – is beyond comprehension.



The crook – Adam Radlan – turns out to be ex-PM Muhyiddin Yassin’s right-hand man. A former chief executive of Maju Assets Sdn Bhd, Adam is also Segambut divisional leader of Muhyiddin’s political party – Bersatu (Malaysian United Indigenous Party). The best part is Adam is the cousin of Muhyiddin’s son-in-law, Muhamad Adlan Berhan, who in turn was involved in several scandals and has since been on the run.




Adlan married to Muhyiddin’s daughter, Nabilah, who is a shareholder of Agathistwo Jia Sdn Bhd, a company involved in the scandalous RM1.2 billion NIIS (National Integrated Immigration System) concession. The NIIS was hatched by Muhyiddin (then-Home Minister under the Pakatan Harapan government) after cancelling its predecessor Sistem Kawalan Imigresen Nasional (SKIN).



Muhamad Adlan was also linked to 1BestariNet, a 15-year project worth RM4.47 billion introduced by then-Education Minister Muhyiddin in March 2011 to provide 4G broadband connectivity and virtual learning environment (VLE) to 10,000 government schools nationwide. However, the “failed project”, awarded to YTL Communications, has been plagued with slow internet access and problematic Frog VLE, which could easily be replaced with Google Classroom.



Adam Radlan’s involvement in Muhyiddin’s web of cronyism, nepotism, and corruption was exposed only after Muhyiddin-led Perikatan Nasional coalition failed to form a government post 15th General Election. And this is precisely why the former backdoor prime minister desperately wanted to return to power by hook or by crook – to “cover up” the skeleton in the closet.




However, after the hanky-panky backroom deal between the Attorney General’s Chambers and Adam Radlan, Muhyiddin no longer need to rush to topple Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. There’s a reason why Anwar promoted Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar as the new Attorney General in November 2024, whose latest achievement included screwing up the corruption case of SRC International (a subsidiary of 1MDB) till crooked Najib Razak was gifted with another DNAA (discharge not amounting to acquittal).



A.G. Dusuki’s deal to acquit Adam Radlan is similar to how Muhyiddin’s appointed A.G. Idrus Harun discharged Riza Aziz, the stepson of former Prime Minister Najib, in May 2020. Initially, on July 5, 2019, Riza was slapped with 5 charges of money laundering involving US$248 million (RM1.25 billion) misappropriated from the sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).



Thanks to the backdoor government of Muhyiddin, Riza Aziz was required to return about US$107.3 million (RM465.3 million) worth of overseas assets which he acquired as part of the settlement. After stealing US$248 million, the stepson of Najib just needed to return 43% of his loot. To add insult to injury, the money that Riza Aziz agreed to return did not even belong to him in the first place.




So, after soliciting RM15 million, Adam Radlan had to pay merely RM4 million to escape prison, keeping the remaining RM11 million. Likewise, after stolen US$248 million, Riza Aziz had to pay just US$107 million to escape jail, keeping the remaining US$141 million. Both crooks’ willingness to pay fines, rather than to challenge the prosecution to clear their names, was clearest proof that they were guilty of corruption.



Yet, Anwar has the cheek to shed crocodile tears – crying, whining and bitching how he was facing the touch challenge of fighting corruption after three years in the government. Heck, he even shamelessly self-declared his Madani government has dismantled long-standing cartels dominating Malaysia’s markets, despite the rampant corruption still plaguing every government institution.



The burning question is why the Attorney General’s Chambers agreed to strike a deal with Muhyiddin’s inner circle? It makes sense if the prime minister had to make deals with crooks like UMNO president Zahid Hamidi or Najib Razak. After all, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) is part of the Unity Government, therefore, Anwar was forced to interfere in the judiciary in order to cling to power.




But Muhyiddin Yassin, let alone Adam Radlan, is not the governing partner or supporter of Anwar administration. So, what gives? The only explanation is that Anwar and Muhyiddin have made a deal to form a new government after the next 16th General Election, the same way Anwar struck a deal with Zahid to form the current unity government after the 15th General Election back in November 2022.



UMNO did not hide its intention to return to power as a dominant political party again by forming the government on its own, and not “squatting” under Anwar-led Pakatan Harapan coalition. Reclaiming UMNO’s dominance has been one of the corrupted Malay nationalist political pillars at every of the party’s annual general assembly. This makes UMNO not a reliable partner for Anwar’s PKR (People’s Justice Party).



Politics is the art of the possible – making the impossible possible. There are no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. If UMNO, after screaming “No Anwar, No DAP”, could end up laughing with Anwar and rubbing shoulders with DAP, it will not be a miracle that Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan could work with Opposition Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional after the next national polls.




Strategically, regardless of whether UMNO could emerge stronger or weaker – with or without an early release of Najib from prison to lead UMNO again – Anwar has to prepare for the worse. If the status quo remains after (or even before) the next election, Muhyiddin’s Bersatu would be the best bet in case UMNO suddenly betrays Pakatan Harapan for whatever reasons.



If UMNO, Bersatu and PAS plan to form a Malay-centric government again, it’s highly likely that UMNO will demand the post of prime minister. Bersatu, currently plagued with internal power struggle and being bullied by partner Islamist party PAS, may end up as the lowest-ranking partner. Muhyiddin could then convince Bersatu (even PAS) to consider jumping ships, depending on power consensus.



Get real, the formation of the Unity Government between the Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional coalitions was nothing but a marriage of convenience after the November 2022 General Election produced a hung parliament. Since then, conflicts have exploded between not only UMNO and DAP (Democratic Action Party), but also between UMNO and PKR.




While Chinese-dominated DAP has been engaged in open “war of words” with UMNO racist bigots like Akmal Saleh, who repeatedly bullies, threatens and intimidates ethnic Chinese to swing Malay voters it had lost, the bad blood between PKR and UMNO is largely hidden after UMNO member Tengku Zafrul jumped ship to PKR, leading to accusations that PKR was poaching UMNO’s minister.



As much as UMNO squeezes Anwar’s balls at every turn, the premier knew he is facing an uphill battle to win the Malay votes whist maintaining the Chinese support at the same time, not to mention seats allocation issues with UMNO later. He is increasingly seen as a weak, double-faced, untrustworthy, incompetent, clueless, and even treacherous leader among the Chinese and Indian communities, dragging DAP down the slope.



Now we fully understand why Anwar announced in June that he has no interest in jailing corrupt crooks, but is more interested in recovering stolen public funds. Of course, his double-standards were a privilege reserved only for corrupt elite politicians from both friends and foes (like Najib and Muhyiddin), as long as they can help him to cling to power – either now or after the next election.




Because Anwar’s ambition is to complete his 5-year term, as well as to secure his second term (and hopefully third), his easiest solution is to be friendly with both allies and the opposition parties. Ordinary people won’t get the same deal enjoyed by Adam Radlan or Riza Aziz. In the same breath, Muhyiddin’s corruption charges are also likely to be dropped – most likely after Bersatu joins forces with Anwar, the same way UMNO did.



Yes, welcome to anti-corruption Madani style – don’t get caught if you steal money, and be prepared to surrender (less than 50%) part of your stolen money when get caught, and voila your crime is written off. If you still believe Anwar did not interfere in the judiciary system for political gains, you should also believe that Taylor Swift is still a virgin. Birds of the same feather flock together – Anwar Ibrahim is no different than Muhyiddin Yassin. Both protect crooks.