Jana Wibawa discussed in cabinet meeting, Zafrul tells Muhyiddin trial

Former finance minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that the Jana Wibawa programme was discussed during a cabinet meeting chaired by Muhyiddin Yassin on Nov 13, 2020.

Zafrul (above, right), 53, said it was the first time the matter was raised in a cabinet meeting during his tenure as finance minister.

When asked by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin whether cabinet meetings were government secrets, Zafrul replied that all cabinet meetings are confidential.

The 11th prosecution witness was testifying at the trial of Muhyiddin, who faces seven charges of abuse of power and money laundering.

Zafrul further agreed with the suggestion by Muhyiddin’s counsel Amer Hamzah Arshad that the minutes of a meeting are not mandatory directives, and acknowledged that he had received numerous meeting minutes from Muhyiddin.

Amer: How many minutes of meetings have you received from Muhyiddin?

Zafrul: I'm not certain... many.

Responding to questions regarding the proposal letters for the appointment of 54 contractors, the witness agreed with the defence counsel's suggestion that no evidence had been presented to the prosecution indicating that Muhyiddin had any personal or financial interest in the companies concerned.

Muhyiddin issued letters

Yesterday, Zafrul stated in his witness statement that Muhyiddin had issued letters proposing the appointment of 54 contractors to carry out 54 projects under the Jana Wibawa programme via direct negotiation.

He said that although the projects were implemented through direct negotiation, the companies concerned were still required to undergo an evaluation process, as that was in accordance with government financial and procurement procedures.

Zafrul also agreed with Amer's suggestion that direct negotiation is a common practice and is employed for purposes of national security, public interest and urgent circumstances.

He also agreed with the defence counsel's suggestion that none of the projects could be implemented by a single minister alone, but instead required approval from a higher authority.

The Jana Wibawa programme was established to stimulate the development of bumiputera contractors and revitalise the country's construction sector to help the nation mitigate the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The primary objective of the programme was to assist bumiputera contractors and building material suppliers who were impacted by the pandemic, while also ensuring the continuity of economic activity within the construction sector.

Zafrul agreed with the defence counsel that contractors were "severely affected" at the time, and that assistance extended to them would have a "trickle-down effect" on the broader economy.

"You can see the difficulties faced by small and medium enterprises, bumiputera contractors, and the entire ecosystem. It was based on these concerns and considerations that we proposed Jana Wibawa," he said.

Abuse of power

Muhyiddin, 79, who was then prime minister and Bersatu president, was charged with four counts of abuse of power for allegedly soliciting RM232.5 million in bribes for the political party from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd, Mamfor Sdn Bhd, and Azman Yusoff in connection with the Jana Wibawa project.

He was accused of committing the offence at the Prime Minister's Office, Bangunan Perdana Putra, Putrajaya, between March 1, 2020, and Aug 20, 2021, under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

The Pagoh MP also faces three charges of receiving RM200 million in unlawful proceeds from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, which were deposited into Bersatu's Ambank and CIMB Bank accounts, allegedly committed in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur between February 2021 and July 2022.

These charges were brought under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment and a fine of either five times the value of the proceeds from unlawful activities or RM5 million, whichever is higher.

The trial before judge Noor Ruwena Nurdin resumes tomorrow.

- Bernama

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