ULTRA Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) manager David Tan has revealed that he had made payments to several political figures, in the corruption trial of former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

In an earlier hearing, he testified that he paid the following politicians: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (S$13.56 million, or RM43.6 million); Khairy Jamaluddin (RM3.7 million); Muhyiddin Yassin (RMRM1.3 million); and Reezal Merican Naina Merican (RM200,000 to RM300,000)

Tan also named others whom he paid but he did not reveal the sums. They were Hishammuddin Hussein Onn, Mohd Shafie Apdal and Anifah Aman.

Tan said he had also made political contributions to Ong Ka Chuan and Chan Kong Choy, both of whom are senior figures in MCA, Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan and a nephew of Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In earlier hearings, Tan and Wan Quoris, the largest shareholder of UKSB, said all the payments did not come from company accounts as the company did not have the RM50 million to pay all of them.

UKSB’s financial statements showed a profit of around RM625,000 after tax with around RM1.5 million cash in hand in 2014; a profit of around RM114,000 with RM2.8 million cash in hand in 2015; RM4.9 million in profit and RM4.6 million cash in hand in 2016; RM2.8 million in profit and RM3.9 million cash in hand 2017; and RM351,000 in profit and RM1.3 million cash in hand in 2018.

Tan also revealed that the company had to ask their business partners in Hong Kong for the funds which would be channelled into Malaysia through money changers in Kuala Lumpur.

The question on everyone’s mind now is, why were the business partners of UKSB in Hong Kong willing to provide the funds for the political donations?

There is no free lunch. 

It is difficult for the public to believe that RM50 million was given away for free. 

What did UKSB offer in return to their business partners in Hong Kong?

Access to the politicians? State secrets?

A company that has less than RM5 million cash in hand at any one time but is willing to procure money from overseas to make donations to politicians deserves to be investigated to check whether it is peddling state secrets to overseas governments or criminal organisations.

The police must open an investigation. – July 26, 2022.

* FLK reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.