NAJIB Razak never personally interacted with a Finance Ministry officer who said he was pressured to expedite two government guarantees for RM4 billion in loans for SRC International, a court heard today.

Maliami Hamad, a former loans management, financial markets and actuary division secretary, told the court yesterday he was pressured by high-ranking officials who answered to the former prime minister.

The 65-year-old was cross-examined by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah today on the “pressure” Maliami said he had received when he was asked to prepare cabinet meeting memorandums in 2011 and 2012.  

Maliami said he was pressured and clarified that the term “pressure” meant that it was stressful because the officers had to create the memorandum quicker than usual and that there was malice in the usage of that word.

Shafee: When you received instructions that the MJM (memorandums) be prepared as soon as possible… it does not mean anything mischievous? (Your witness statement) can be interpreted to be accusatory. You did not mean anything else other than what was stated? 

Maliami: Yes.

Shafee: You had no contact with Datuk Seri Najib?

Maliami: No (contact). 

Shafee: There was no contact with the second finance minister (Ahmad Husni Hanadziah)?

Maliami: No.

Shafee: All your interactions were with KSP (Treasury secretary-general Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah)?

Maliami: Yes.

Shafee: So it was only your assumption that it was the prime minister that gave the directive (to expedite the guarantees)?

Maliami: Yes. 

Shafee: Do you agree that the best person to say so is the KSP himself?

Maliami: Yes.

Maliami told the court that proposals for government guarantees sometimes “come from the bottom”.

“In the case of SRC, it was proposed from the top and then sent down to be processed,” he said.  

Maliami confirmed that all matters relating to the government guarantees were recorded in the related minutes.

Shafee: Do you agree that if any proposal went against the rules, you can make a comment as a senior officer?

Maliami: Yes.

Shafee: This is because you have to look after the good name of the Treasury and of Malaysia?

Maliami: Yes.

Shafee: There are no minutes that say there wasn’t a full picture of SRC International or whether there was something wrong with GG1 (first government guarantee) or GG?

Maliami: No. There was no issue.

Maliami said the cabinet, on both occasions, were furnished with all the pertinent information and that there were “no lies” in the memorandums.

Yesterday, Maliami told the court he was additionally pressured by Najib’s principal private secretary, the late Azlin Alias, over the guarantees.  

The first government guarantee was approved on August 26, 2011, and the first loan was disbursed from Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) to SRC International on August 29, 2011.

The witness said he was approached on January 27, 2012, by the SRC International officials, led again by CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil.

The officials again asked him to expedite a government guarantee for a second loan of RM2 billion.

However, the second loan was disbursed before the second government guarantee was prepared and KWAP then relied on a letter of comfort from the ministry that the guarantee was forthcoming and that the loan could be approved.

The second loan of RM2 billion to SRC International was disbursed on March 28, 2012.

Najib’s charges are linked to RM4 billion in loans issued to SRC International, for which he is accused of receiving RM42 million in his personal accounts in 2014 and 2015. – July 9, 2019.