The private secretary to former women, family and community development minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said she received several SMSes from a 'Datuk Sham' in mid-November last year.

Roziyah Mohd Yusoff, 54, told the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today, that Shahrizat was with her when she received the SMSes while they were in Medina to perform the Umrah in the Holy Land.

"The (first) SMS stated that 'Datuk Sham' was instructed by "higher-ups" to help Shahrizat's husband.

"After receiving similar SMSes several times from the same person, I advised Shahrizat to call him", she said during examination-in-chief by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) head of prosecution unit Abdul Razak Musa.

Roziyah was the 16th prosecution witness at the trial of businessman Shamsubahrin Ismail, who is charged with 17 counts of money laundering amounting to RM1.755 million, under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti Terrorism Financing Act 2001.

NONE Shamsubahrin, 46, is also facing five charges under the Penal Code, of cheating former National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) chairman Mohamad Salleh Ismail ( left ) into agreeing to pay him (Shamsubahrin) a fee for the same sum last year, in return for advisory and consulting services.

Roziyah said, after obtaining approval from Shahrizat, she immediately called 'Datuk Sham', using her handphone, and passed it to the former minister.

In the conversation, she heard Shahrizat say: "Datuk Sham, when it rains, it falls. I do not know you and do not know where you come from".

Roziyah had also informed the court that Shahrizat appeared upset after she ended the conversation with 'Datuk Sham'.

 Checking on a cheque

Meanwhile, the 17th witness, former NFC financial manager Hashimah Ahmad, testified that she was responsible in validating each cheque issued by the company and on Nov 25, last year, a bank had called her to check on a cheque payment of RM255,000 issued by NFC.

"The bank normally will get confirmation from me on any payment but in this case (the cheque for RM255,000), I was not aware what the payment was for, so I asked the bank to get the confirmation from (Mohamad) Salleh," she said, adding that on Nov 29, last year, Mohamad Salleh had requested her to submit all the cheque books under NFC to his son, Wan Shahinur Izmir.

Hashimah, 37, however, said on Dec 15, last year, when the cheque books were returned to her, she found that a cheque for RM500,000 from National Meat & Livestock Corporation Sdn Bhd and two cheques amounting to RM300,000 and RM700,000 from Syarikat Real Food Sdn Bhd, were issued.

Both companies were NFC's subsidiaries.

The trial before Judge Rozilah Salleh continues on Thursday.