Business

Former tech company director charged over RM5.5m breach of trust

Former ARB Development Sdn Bhd director Liew Kok Leong pleads not guilty to criminal breach of trust involving RM5.5 million intended for an acquisition of renewable energy company shares

Updated 1 hour ago · Published on 23 Oct 2026 2:58PM

Former tech company director charged over RM5.5m breach of trust
Liew Kok Leong also faces a separate money laundering charge involving RM403,000 - October 23, 2026

A FORMER director of a software and information technology company has pleaded not guilty in two Sessions Courts in Kuala Lumpur to criminal breach of trust involving RM5.5 million and a separate money laundering charge over an alleged transaction in 2019.

Datuk Seri Liew Kok Leong, 53, who was a director of ARB Development Sdn Bhd at the time, was charged with transferring RM5.5 million belonging to the company into a law firm’s account to purchase three shop-office units in Ipoh, Perak, allegedly owned by an individual, Er Yan Shuen.

The money was purportedly meant to acquire a 51 per cent equity stake, equivalent to 255,000 ordinary shares, in C&M Renewable Energy Technology Sdn Bhd.

The alleged breach of trust took place between May 6 and June 17, 2019, at a building in Jalan Stesen Sentral 2.

The charge was brought under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which carries a prison sentence of between two and 20 years, whipping and a possible fine upon conviction.

In a separate charge before another Sessions Court judge, Liew was accused of instructing Yan Shuen to transfer RM403,000 from the latter’s account to a bank account belonging to Permata Global Sdn Bhd on June 15, 2019.

The alleged transaction took place at Maybank’s Taman Maluri branch and was charged under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

If convicted, the offence carries a prison term of up to 15 years and a fine of at least five times the value of the proceeds of unlawful activity or RM5 million, whichever is higher.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Julianaazrina Jaafar prosecuted the cases, while Liew was represented by lawyer Zander Lim Wai Keong.

The court granted Liew bail of RM200,000 with one surety and ordered him to report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s Putrajaya office once a month.

He was also ordered to surrender his passport to the court, barred from leaving the country without court permission and prohibited from directly or indirectly interfering with prosecution witnesses. - October 23, 2026

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