THE former Senior Private Secretary to the then Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mohd Saifullah Mohd Minggu @ Mohd Hisham, has been sentenced to six years in prison and fined RM8.8 million after the Sessions Court found him guilty on eight counts of accepting RM1.77 million in bribes connected to advertising tenders issued by the ministry in 2018.
The sentence was delivered by Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court Judge Suzana Hussin, who ruled that the defence had failed to overturn the presumption under Section 50(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act on a balance of probabilities.
Mohd Saifullah, 34, clad in a blue suit and standing in the dock, wept uncontrollably as the judge delivered the conviction and sentence. Suzana also ordered that he serve an additional seven years’ imprisonment should he fail to pay the fine.
Here is the full translation of the Malay portions into clear English, while keeping the rest of the passage unchanged:
“**The court has convicted you on all charges, and the court has taken into account the mitigation submitted to reduce the sentence as well as the prosecution’s submissions for an enhanced sentence.
“I hope this punishment will make you reflect and prevent you from committing offences in the future.
“You are still young, and I hope you will repent and change for the better,”** she said.
In her judgment, Suzana stated that the conviction followed a full assessment of defence testimony, the prosecution’s evidence and the submissions of both sides. She, however, allowed a request by defence counsel Asyraaf Abu Bakar Hamzah to stay the execution of the sentence pending appeal.
Mohd Saifullah was found to have received RM1,765,000 from Ronald Seto Kong Seng, owner of Inter Bev Network Sdn Bhd, through Roslan Lahada, as an inducement for promising to secure the company the tender for the ministry’s “Brand and Creative Production Services”.
The payments were also linked to efforts to obtain the “Digital Promotion and Advertising Proposal in Conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2020” for Plan B Digital Sdn Bhd through direct negotiation.
The offences were committed at various locations, including Red Box Karaoke and Coffee Bean at Pavilion, the Putra World Trade Centre, the office of the Senior Private Secretary to the Minister, Vipod Residences and Petronas Dengkil, between 11 am and 11.30 pm from 21 December 2018 to 1 March 2019.
He was charged under Section 16(a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
During mitigation, Asyraaf argued that his client, then a young senior private secretary, had been naïve in political matters and taken advantage of by other parties.
“The accused has a good educational background and can still contribute to society. He is a first-time offender, and throughout the five-year trial he has cooperated fully and has repented,” he said.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Law Chin How urged the court to impose a stiff sentence, stressing the gravity of the offence.
“The accused’s actions not only tarnished the ministry’s image but directly affected public confidence in the integrity and transparency of government administration.
“As the Senior Private Secretary to the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the accused should have valued his future rather than engaging in corrupt activities. His offence involved a substantial amount of money that influenced tenders and decisions,” he submitted.
The court also raised the accused’s bail from RM200,000 to RM280,000. He must report to the MACC office periodically and surrender his passport to the court. - November 20, 2025
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