A COMPANY director linked to the alleged deal involving the transfer of management ownership of KL Tower has claimed trial to offering a bribe amounting to RM500,000 a year for 15 years to hasten the process. 

Abdul Hamid Shaikh Abdul Razak Shaikh, director of Hydropshoppe Sdn Bhd, a company connected with the takeover of shares of KL Tower, was charged before judge Suzana Hussain at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today.

Hamid was accused of offering a bribe of RM500,000 a year for 15 years to one Tan Ser Lay for the benefit of former communications and multimedia minister Annuar Musa to expedite the acquisition process. 

The offence allegedly took place at the ministry’s office in Putrajaya between July and August last year.

At the end of last year, Telekom Malaysia (TM) selling off its 10 million shares in Menara Kuala Lumpur Sdn Bhd, which manages the iconic tower, became a hot-button issue.

It was alleged that TM had let go of its holding on the subsidiary, purportedly making good profits, to a lesser-known company called Hydroshoppe Sdn Bhd, just before the general election. 

It was claimed that Menara Kuala Lumpur was making RM66 million of revenue pre-pandemic, of which RM25 million was registered as net profit.

Following the revelation, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil had then said Putrajaya will be scrutinising the deal involving the sale of KL Tower. 

Fahmi had said he viewed the matter seriously, and that he will receive a comprehensive briefing on the matter from Telekom early next week.  

Following that, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission also said it had begun investigations into the alleged deal involving the ownership transfer to manage the iconic tower. 

A check with the Companies Commission of Malaysia revealed that Hydroshoppe Sdn Bhd is a general trading company incorporated on February 15, 2008.

The company is based in Shah Alam, Selangor with a total issued share capital of RM1 million.

The two listed directors are Abdul Hamid Shaikh Abdul Razak Shaikh and Nazarina Mohamed Nasir, with 500,000 shares each.

Former communications and multimedia minister Annuar meanwhile had distanced himself from the purported deal.

He told news portal Malaysiakini he was not involved in TM’s decision to sell the subsidiary that managed KL Tower. – April 5, 2023.

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