FORMER finance minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz has told the High Court that he had no knowledge of any alleged political donations linked to companies involved in the Jana Wibawa programme and denied receiving any personal benefit from them.
Testifying as the 11th prosecution witness in the trial involving former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Zafrul said he was not aware that any of the contractors had made contributions to political parties.
He said the list of 54 contractors under the Jana Wibawa initiative was proposed by Muhyiddin through a letter issued via the Prime Minister’s Office dated Nov 13, 2020, the same day the Cabinet approved the government’s procurement action plan.
Zafrul said the Cabinet did not deliberate on the procurement method or selection of specific companies, adding that the names of the contractors did not originate from the Finance Ministry.
“I also do not know how the names of the 54 companies came to be listed in the letter. The companies listed did not come from me or the Finance Ministry,” he said in his witness statement.
He added that Muhyiddin’s letter instructed the Finance Ministry to urgently consider the proposed appointments.
Zafrul said he directed the Government Procurement Division to assess the companies before any appointments were finalised, adding that while he had the authority not to proceed, the directive formed the basis for initiating the evaluation process.
He also said Muhyiddin never informed him of any alleged political contributions involving the companies concerned.
Jana Wibawa, introduced in 2020, was a government initiative aimed at accelerating economic recovery during the Covid-19 pandemic through infrastructure projects awarded to pre-qualified Bumiputera contractors via direct negotiation and selected tenders.
Muhyiddin, who is Bersatu president and Pagoh MP, is facing multiple charges involving alleged abuse of power and money laundering linked to the programme. - July 6, 2026
