THE Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur was today told that LP Multi Terminal Sdn Bhd should have been appointed as the operator of the new Labuan Federal Territory Merdeka Port Terminal.

However, former Transport Ministry deputy secretary-general (Management) Chua Kok Ching, 64, said that the matter was shelved following a recommendation by former Labuan Member of Parliament Rozman Isli because of political implications as the 14th general election was expected to be held then.

“After being informed of the matter (delay), I and another member of the board of directors of the Labuan Port Authority (LPL) agreed with Rozman. Apart from the political implication, the appointment was also shelved because the port tariff rate was not yet finalised then by management.

“Therefore, the meeting agreed to postpone the appointment of the LP Multi Terminal company as the new port operator and the Labuan Liberty Port Management Sdn Bhd (LLPM), which handles the port operation then was given temporary permission to continue to handle the port operation,” he said.

Chua, who is the 20th prosecution witness, said this when reading out his witness statement at the trial of the former Labuan MP who is facing charges of using his position to obtain a bribe of an employment contract as an operator of Labuan Port Merdeka Dock for LLPM in which his father and younger brother have an interest.

According to Chua, LLPM was given temporary permission but was not appointed to continue as the operator of the port’s operations, and Rozman also never declared that his father and younger brother were shareholders in LLPM.

Asked by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Feisal Mohd Azmi about the connection between the delay in the appointment of the port operator and the political implications, the witness said that at that time, Rozman was the Labuan MP and with the general election to be held then, it would disrupt the political situation in Labuan.

Ahmad Feisal: What kind of disruption?

Chua: At that time, LLPM company was the operator of Labuan Port and if there was a change of operator at that time, it would have political implications on Rozman’s position in Labuan. A change (in the port operator) may have affected the support for the elected representative then.

Ahmad Feisal: Who was the elected representative at that time?

Chua: Rozman Isli.

Meanwhile, Chua agreed with lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, representing Rozman,  that the political implications were only discussed at the Labuan Port Authority (LPL) meeting on January 4, 2018, and March 21, 2018, but it was not minuted.

During re-examination by Feisal, the witness said he knew the matter was not minuted, but did not know the reason it wasn’t.

Rozman, 57, is charged as an official of a public body, the Deputy Chairman of the Labuan Port Authority, to have used his position to obtain gratification, an employment contract as the operator for Dermaga Merdeka Pelabuhan Labuan for LLPM, in which his father and younger brother have an interest in.

The offence was allegedly committed at the TKSU Meeting Room, Level 9, Ministry of Transport Malaysia, Jalan Tun Hussein, Precinct 4, Putrajaya between 2.30pm and 5.30pm on March 21, 2018.

He is charged under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act and can be punished under Section 24(1) of the same act, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000 whichever is higher, if convicted

The hearing before Judge Rozina Ayob continues on February 13. – Bernama, February 10, 2023.