AHMAD Zahid Hamidi told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that two cheques amounting to RM6 million received from Syarikat Sarana Kencana Sdn Bhd were political contributions when he was deputy prime minister, not bribes.

Zahid, 69, said allegations the cheques received via former Datasonic Group Berhad deputy managing director Chew Ben Ben were inducement to appoint Datasonic Technologies Sdn Bhd (DTSB) to supply passport chip for five years is not true and slanderous.

“I wish to stress that I did not make the decision to appoint DTSB. I have no authority to make the final decision as it is under the jurisdiction of the Finance Ministry (MOF).

“The process carried out by MOF, the Home Ministry and Immigration Department on awarding the polycarbonate contract to DTSB was in order and according to the stipulated procedure.

“My officers at the Home Ministry carried out the appropriate procedures, which was verified by MOF, before the contract was awarded to DTSB,” he said. 

He said this when questioned by his lawyer, Ahmad Zaidi Zainal in his defence over 47 charges, with 12 of them involving criminal breach of trust, corruption (8) and money-laundering (27), involving tens of millions of ringgit in funds belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.

Zahid said when was the home minister, General (Rtd) Mohamed Hashim Mohd Ali (former DTSB director) had submitted a letter titled “Application to supply passport chips for five years or 12.5 million chips which would be embedded in the Malaysian passport polycarbonate biodata page to the government via direct negotiation”.

“When it involves direct negotiation, it involves directives from the Treasury as well as the Home Ministry’s internal procurement. Furthermore, I stated that the MOF determines awarding contracts via direct negotiations to any company that did not apply to the Home Ministry’s internal procurement,” he said.

To Zaidi’s question on how his client knew Hashim, Zahid said this happened when he was political secretary to the defence minister.

“He (Hashim) later became a director of several listed companies, including DTSB. I have known him for more than 20 years since I was in the Defence Ministry, not because of his involvement in business but as an armed forces officer, ”he said.

He said Hashim and Abu Hanifah Noordin – former managing director of Datasonic Group Berhad – owned Sarana Kencana.

The Bagan Datuk MP also said Hanifah, who is the 32nd prosecution witness, had stated in court that the cheques were given to him as a political donation, which was part of a charity.

“Chew (the 34th prosecution witness) also testified during the prosecution’s re-examination, in which he stated that based on his understanding, political money is also included as charity.

“Hanifah and Chew also stated that the issuance of these two cheques had nothing to do with the appointment of DTSB to execute the polycarbonate contract. In fact the cheques credited into the customer account of Messrs. Lewis & Co is a political contribution to me,” he said.

Based on the 14th and 15th charges, Zahid is alleged to have received bribes amounting to RM6 million from Chew as a reward for appointing DTSB to implement a passport chip project for a period of five years or for a total of 12.5 million chips to be included in the polycarbonate biodata page of Malaysia’s international passport by the Immigration Department through direct negotiations under the Home Ministry.

Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah is presiding over the case. – Bernama, May 26, 2022.