A WITNESS told the High Court that Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) had given RM1.3 million to former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin in 2018.

David Tan, 47, who is the former administrative manager of the company, disclosed this when the company’s ledger was shown to him during the corruption trial of former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over the foreign visa system (VLN), today.

When asked by Zahid’s lawyer, Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, who the ‘TSM’ was recorded in the ledger, the witness said: “Tan Sri Muhyiddin”.

He then went on and told the court that the funds were given to Muhyiddin in cash payments on June 4, July 4 and August 23, 2018.

“On June 4, 2018, it was RM300,000; on July 4, it was RM500,000 and on August 23, it was RM500,000,” he said.

Tan also confirmed that in 2018, Muhyiddin was home minister (following Zahid) and that the UKSB-VLN project was still under the Home Ministry’s purview.

Zaidi: Regarding TSM, I suggest to you, that the payments were made in relation to the VLN for the government of the day?

Tan: Yes, for the government of the day.

Apart from Muhyiddin, other names mentioned in today’s proceedings were Khairy Jamaluddin, Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Hishammuddin Hussein, Mohd Shafie Apdal and Anifah Aman, as they were also stated in the UKSB’s ledger and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s forensic report.

Tan also confirmed that, based on the ledger, UKSB had given Khairy a total of RM3.7 million, while Reezal, based on MACC’s forensic report, had received between RM200,000 and RM300,000 from the company.

When asked whether Reezal was the deputy foreign minister at that time, the witness said: “I’m not sure.”

However, Tan agreed with the lawyer’s suggestion that the ‘MOR’ and ‘FM’ stated in the ledger referred to the then ‘Minister Of Rural’ Mohd Shafie and ‘Foreign Minister’ Anifah.

Zaidi: Most of the payments are political donations?

Tan: That’s correct.

Zaidi: Of course, (the payments) to Zahid are political donations too?

Tan: That’s correct.

Meanwhile, the witness disagreed with another of the defence team Hisyam Teh Poh Teik’s suggestion that he had abetted two former UKSB directors, Harry Lee Vui Khiun and Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani to commit corruption, money laundering and criminal breach of trust.

Zahid is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13. 6 million (RM42 million) from UKSB as an inducement for himself in his capacity as a civil servant and the then home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of the One-Stop Centre (OSC) in China and the VLN system, as well as to maintain the agreement to supply VLN integrated system paraphernalia to the same company by the home ministry.

For another seven counts, Zahid was charged as home minister to have obtained for himself S$1.2 million, RM3 million, €15,000 (RM69,000)and US$15,000 (RM65,900) in cash from the same company in connection with his official work.

He is charged with committing all the offences at Seri Satria, Presint 16, Putrajaya, and Country Heights, Kajang, between October 2014 and March 2018.

The trial before Judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues on July 25. – Bernama, June 17, 2022.