BERSATU president Muhyiddin Yassin must not be allowed to leave the country as he faces three money laundering charges involving RM200 million linked to the Jana Wibawa programme, the prosecution said.

Deputy public prosecutor Lim Wai Keong said this in an affidavit objecting to the former prime minister’s bid to retrieve his passport for a trip overseas.

Lim said the court set bail at RM2 million as Muhyiddin was a flight risk, which was why his passport was impounded.

The Perikatan Nasional (PN) chief’s passport was surrendered to the criminal court as part of the bail terms in the ongoing case.

Last month, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Azura Alwi told the prosecution to file its affidavit by November 8 in reply to Muhyiddin’s bid.

Muhyiddin had applied for the unconditional permanent return of his passport to take his family on a London trip at year-end and undergo medical treatment in Singapore.

The PN chairman said in a supporting affidavit the year-end trip to London was a tradition where he takes his family on a month-long holiday every year.

“This trip is important so I can spend time with my family, because this year has been very stressful for my family and me,” the Pagoh MP said in the document.

Muhyiddin also said he must undergo a heart examination at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.

He said he was treated at Mayo Clinic in the United States several years ago, and doctors there informed him Mount Elizabeth Hospital provided the same treatment and diagnostic tools.

Muhyiddin said his lawyers’ advice was that the RM2 million bail he provided earlier would be sufficient to ensure his presence in court, and that the surrender of his passport was merely an additional guarantee. – November 17, 2023.