BUSTARI Yusof, a Sarawak businessman and confidant of former prime minister Najib Razak, has not fled the country, said his brother and former works minister, Fadillah Yusof, in denying claims made on social media.

A close family friend also confirmed that Bustari, said to be at one time the go-to person in the Najib administration, is still in Malaysia.

“He’s just lying low. He’s not in hiding, and I won’t disclose whether he’s in Kuala Lumpur or Kuching,” said the family friend, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The post on Bustari has been shared on social media over the past week. It said the 65-year-old had fled with “billions of ringgit” meant for payment to contractors working on the Sarawak section of the Pan-Borneo Highway.

Fadillah, who is also Petra Jaya MP, was quoted by English daily Borneo Post as saying the claims against his elder brother are “all lies calculated to slander him” and “designed to create hate”.

The post said prior to the 14th general election, Bustari was paid RM4 billion by the Finance Ministry but the sub-contractors were not paid “a single sen” on their claims, and that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating the actual cost of the project.

The post said due to the MACC probe, the Finance Ministry was forced to stop payments to project delivery partner Lebuhraya Borneo Utara Sdn Bhd (LBU).

LBU public relations officer Kelvin Yeo, speaking to Malaysia Decides, denied that Bustari has links to LBU.

“LBU is owned by Maltimur Resources Sdn Bhd and Jalinan Rejang Sdn Bhd, and he does not own the companies nor does he sit on the LBU board.

“He’s not in the picture at all.”

On the claim that contractors were not paid, Yeo said more than RM2 billion had been paid out, concurring with Fadillah’s statement that RM2.54 billion was spent for the purpose.

“LBU does not make the payments. The Finance Ministry does.

“The ministry makes the payments directly to the contractors. There are 11 of them, and they pay their sub-contractors.”

The Pan-Borneo Highway, stretching from Telok Melano in southern Sarawak to Sabah, is being built at a cost of RM27 billion.

Fadillah has said the 936km stretch in Sarawak costs RM12.5 billion. The road continues for another 727km in Sabah. – May 24, 2018.