Witness: I borrowed to donate RM6.6m to Zahid's foundation in hope of projects
A businessperson today testified that he had to borrow money to donate to the then deputy prime minister's foundation in 2016 in the hopes of securing projects from Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who was also the home minister at the time.
Ng Hong Sing, 56, a director of Konsortium Multimedia Swasta Sdn Bhd, told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that he had initially offered a RM1 million contribution but was progressively asked to contribute more.
A businessperson today testified that he had to borrow money to donate to the then deputy prime minister's foundation in 2016 in the hopes of securing projects from Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who was also the home minister at the time.
Ng Hong Sing, 56, a director of Konsortium Multimedia Swasta Sdn Bhd, told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that he had initially offered a RM1 million contribution but was progressively asked to contribute more.
While under examination by deputy public prosecutor Harris Ong Mohd Jeffery Ong in Zahid's graft, money laundering and criminal breach of trust trial, Ng said in the end, all he received was a six-minute meeting with Zahid and no projects.
Ng said it started when a friend introduced him to one "Datuk Ruzi" who he understood was a "strongman" of Zahid.
Ng admitted that he wanted to meet Ruzi due to his connection with Zahid and he wanted an introduction.
The witness said around January 2016, Ruzi offered to introduce him to Zahid on condition that he contributed Yayasan Akalbudi, a foundation founded by Zahid.
Ng said the contribution was for the purpose of "getting work".
Harris: The contribution was to get projects?
Ng: No, to become friends.
Harris: To become friends so as to get projects?
Ng: In my mind, to get projects. To make friends so as to get projects.
Ng said he made an initial offer of RM1 million but was asked to contribute more by Ruzi.
"Initially I said RM1 million but he said it was too little. He asked how much I could give at most.
"I said I could do RM3 million but in separate payments, not in one go," he said.
Ng said he later met Zahid at his home, and Zahid thanked him for the contribution to Yayasan Akalbudi.
"I also asked the accused if he could offer investment opportunities to me as my company has wide experience in the IT field.
"The accused told me for further dealings, I can contact Datuk Ruzi.
"The meeting was around five to six minutes," he said.
Ng said on the way back, Ruzi told him that he could get "bigger projects" if he contributed more to Yayasan Akalbudi.
Ng said he then agreed to contribute as much as RM6 million to the foundation.
"He (Ruzi) said please help because the foundation does not have enough money.
"I thought about it and thought that I could borrow money from friends. That was the maximum," he said.
In total, Ng said he contributed RM6.6 million.
However, Ng said in the end, he did not get any projects as he had hoped.
Zahid is facing 47 charges, comprising 12 charges of criminal breach of trust, 27 charges of money laundering and eight charges of bribery.
The trial is being presided over by High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
Court told Zahid asked money changer to convert tranches of cash into cheques
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