THE Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court was today told that former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng was pleased when the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony between the state government and Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG) on the mega project relating to the roads and undersea tunnel worth RM6.34 billion was witnessed by the prime ministers of Malaysia and China.

Consortium Zenith Beijing Urban Construction Group (CZBUCG) director Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, 62, said he had received a call in 2011 from Lim announcing that Wen Jiabao, the then prime minister of China and Najib Razak, then prime minister of Malaysia, would attend the MOU signing ceremony held in Putrajaya on April 28, 2011, which was also attended by Lim.

CZBUCG is a joint-venture company with BUCG that was appointed to carry out the project.

To a question by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin on the reaction of Lim when the MOU was signed before the two prime ministers, Zarul, who is the key prosecution witness replied: “YB Lim was pleased.”

Wan Shaharuddin: What were the ‘exact words’ YB Lim said?

Zarul: “YB Lim said there would be many red eyes as the MOU was signed.”

Questioned by Wan Shaharuddin what was meant by “red eyes”, Zarul said it referred to whoever is angry or envious and he thought it referred to MCA.

According to Zarul, he had contacted Wisma Putra and requested that the MOU signing ceremony was witnessed by the prime ministers of Malaysia and China.

The witness was testifying at the corruption trial of Lim, who is facing four charges involving the construction of the undersea tunnel and roads in Penang.

Earlier, Zarul, when reading out his witness statement said he was overwhelmed and grateful as his company (CZBUCG) was awarded the mega project valued at RM6.34 billion.

“The project was awarded to CZBUCG through a tender request for proposal (RFP) and it was awarded on February 6, 2013,” he said.

“I was touched by the project award but the feeling was only for one day as I was attacked and criticised by Barisan Nasional parties as the Penang government had awarded it to a RM2 company.

“The  special purpose vehicle (SPV) company usually does not have a paid-up capital of more than RM2 so long as it is not awarded with any projects.

“If it is not awarded to the company, then the SPV company can easily be wound down. The project was awarded by the Penang government when the chief minister was YB Lim.”

Lim is facing an amended charge of using his position as Penang chief minister to receive RM3.3 million bribes to assist Zarul’s company to obtain the construction project valued at RM6,341,383,702, at the Penang Chief Minister’s office at 28th floor, Komtar in George Town between January 2011 to August 2017. 

For the second amended charge, Lim was accused of soliciting bribes amounting to 10% of the profits of the company from Zarul in appreciation of winning the project and the accused committed the offence near The Garden Hotels, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur in March 2011.

Lim is also facing two charges for causing two lots of land worth RM208.8 million belonging to the Penang government to be disposed of to the companies related to the undersea tunnel project.

He was charged with committing the offences at the Penang Land and Mines Office on the 21st floor, Komtar on February 17, 2015 and March 22, 2017.

The trial before judge Azura Alwi continues on April 1. – Bernama, March 24, 2022.