Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin arrived at the High Court here on Monday for the first day of his trial involving charges of abuse of power and money laundering linked to the Jana Wibawa project.
The Pagoh MP reached the court complex at about 8.40am, dressed in a grey suit and travelling in a Toyota Alphard alongside his wife. Several leaders from Malaysian United Indigenous Party (Bersatu) were also present to show support, including deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu and supreme council member Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Opening Proceedings And First Witness
Court proceedings are expected to begin with Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin delivering the prosecution’s opening statement before the court hears testimony from the first witness.
The case is being heard before High Court judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin.
Muhyiddin’s defence team is led by lawyers Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Amer Hamzah Arshad and K Kumaraendran.
The highly anticipated trial has drawn significant public attention as it involves allegations tied to the controversial Jana Wibawa initiative, a government programme originally introduced to accelerate post-pandemic economic recovery.
Charges Linked To Jana Wibawa Project
According to the charges, Muhyiddin — who was serving as both prime minister and Bersatu president at the time — faces four counts of abusing his position to obtain bribes totalling RM232.5 million.
The alleged payments were linked to the Jana Wibawa project and were said to have been obtained from three companies — Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd and Mamfor Sdn Bhd — as well as businessman Azman Yusoff for the benefit of the political party.
The offences were allegedly committed at the Prime Minister’s Office at the Perdana Putra building in Putrajaya between March 1, 2020 and Aug 20, 2021.
He was charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same law. If convicted, the offence carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a fine of no less than five times the value of the alleged bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Money Laundering Allegations
In addition to the abuse of power charges, Muhyiddin also faces three counts of money laundering involving RM200 million allegedly derived from illegal activities.
The funds were said to have been transferred from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd into Bersatu’s bank accounts at AmBank and CIMB Bank branches in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur between February 2021 and July 2022.
These charges were framed under Section 4(1)(b) read together with Section 87(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001. Upon conviction, the offence carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years and a fine of at least five times the value of the proceeds of unlawful activity or RM5 million, whichever is higher.
The case is expected to unfold over multiple hearing dates, with several witnesses anticipated to testify as the court examines one of the country’s most high-profile corruption trials involving a former national leader.
