KUALA LUMPUR – Three private companies were named in former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s multi-million ringgit corruption trial for alleged power abuse and money laundering.
The charges against Muhyiddin, who is also Perikatan Nasional chairman and Bersatu president, are under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUAA) 2001 and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.
One charge appeared to be related to the Jana Wibawa scheme introduced by Muhyiddin while he was prime minister. The company, which he allegedly solicited funds from, is also mentioned in separate charges against two other Bersatu figures over contracts under the scheme.
Other charges against Muhyiddin appeared to be related to Yayasan Al-Bukhary, which he said the MACC questioned him about in relation to cancelling tax exemptions for the foundation.
The Vibes takes a look at the companies mentioned in the charges.
Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd
According to Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) documents sighted by The Vibes, Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd is owned by businessman Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary and his wife Sharifah Zarah Syed Kechik.
The former holds a majority stake in the company with 99% of the RM500,000 shares.
The couple is named as the sole directors of the investment holding company, with Syed Mokhtar being director since its incorporation in November 2011 while Sharifah Zarah only joined the company’s board of directors several years later in May 2015.
The company appears to be in the red as its financial information for 2021 recorded a loss of RM72.1 million amid a revenue of RM2.6 million.
The company, incorporated in 2011, has its registered business address set at the same building in Taman Tasik Perdana as Syed Mokhtar’s charity organisation Al-Bukhary Foundation.
In a press statement on March 9, after he was released on bail from MACC custody prior to being charged, Muhyiddin said he had explained to the MACC that Syed Mokhtar appealed to him when he was prime minister to reverse the cancellation of the foundation’s tax exemption status.
Muhyiddin said the decision was made by the Finance Ministry and Inland Revenue Board, with only a note from him that he had no objection if the appeal was above board – and that because of this note, he was being accused of graft.
His claim that the foundation was pulled from tax exemptions by former finance minister Lim Guan Eng during the Pakatan Harapan administration has also been denied by the DAP chairman.
Syed Mokhtar, known for his philanthropic endeavours and wide-ranging entrepreneurship dealings, also made it to Forbes’ 2022 list as the 15th richest Malaysian with an estimated net worth of US$1.5 billion (RM6.8 billion).
Bukhary Equity is mentioned in both of Muhyiddin’s AMLATFPUAA charges. The Pagoh MP is accused of receiving illicit funds amounting to RM195 million from the company on two occasions, with the funds being deposited into Bersatu’s CIMB bank account in 2021 and 2022.
The two charges are framed under Section 4(1)(b) whereby if found guilty, Muhyiddin could face a maximum of 15 years in jail and be liable to a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of an unlawful activity at the time the offence was committed, or RM5,000,000, whichever is higher.
Bukhary Equity also appears in one of the charges for abuse of power under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009, whereby Muhyiddin is accused of using his prime ministerial and party position to solicit RM200 million from the company in February 2021 at the Prime Minister’s Office.
If found guilty, Muhyiddin faces a maximum of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Nepturis Sdn Bhd
Nepturis Sdn Bhd is a company registered in 2005 and located in Seksyen 32, Shah Alam, with SSM documents stating its business nature as “contractor for maintenance services”.
The company’s total share of RM2.5 million is currently split equally between Aliza Abdul Malek and Mohd Rizman Akum Khan, who were both also appointed to lead the company as directors in May 2018.
Two of the company’s former directors, Mohd Izwan Md Zainal Abidin and Mohammad Zamzam Mohd Ashraf, also hold directorship positions in a civil construction and infrastructure solution company formed in 2012.
Nepturis also appears to be performing well financially – with its revenue for 2021 totalling RM13.1 million, while losses after taxes came up to RM804,076.19.
The private firm was also implicated in a separate trial against Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan, with the former Bersatu information chief accused of soliciting an unspecified amount from one Lian Tan Chuan in April last year to help Nepturis secure a central spine road government contract valued at RM232 million.
The infrastructure project is parked under the Jana Wibawa initiative introduced during Muhyiddin’s administration to boost the country’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nepturis was also named in Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad’s graft trial, with the businessman and Segambut Bersatu leader allegedly soliciting an RM2 million bribe from Lian in January last year to assist the company win a RM141 million construction contract in Klang under the Jana Wibawa project.
Muhyiddin’s charge sheet states that he is accused of abusing his position to solicit RM1 million from Nepturis between March and August 2021.
Mamfor Sdn Bhd
Mamfor Sdn Bhd, which changed its name in 2015 after being known as Mamfor Construction Sdn Bhd since 1991, is a company that deals with construction works, machinery and premises rental as well as “survey CCTV”.
Ownership of the company’s RM600,010 shares is split three ways, with Shaharani Kassim holding a majority stake at 60%, followed by Shahradzi Shamsuddin (39%) and Faezah Kassim (1%).
Shahradzi, currently the sole director of the company, was appointed to the position in March 2008 while Shaharani and Faezah both renounced their director roles on January 4, 2013.
The latter two also share the same address with Fazidah Kassim, who was a director of the company from April 2016 up to last month.
The latest financial information provided by SSM for the company was for 2017, during which Mamfor recorded a revenue of RM137,294 and profits of RM312,113, which were not taxed.
Muhyiddin is facing charges of abusing his position for an inducement of RM19.5 million from Mamfor for Bersatu between March 2020 and August 2021. During the same period, he is also accused of soliciting RM12 million from one Azman Yusoff for the party. – The Vibes, March 11, 2023
