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THE High Court heard today that repeated large transactions amounting to RM19.5 million were deposited into Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (Bersatu) account between 12 May 2021 and 22 November 2022, with a bank official describing the pattern as “out of the ordinary” due to its frequency and scale.
Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd assistant branch manager at PKNS Shah Alam, Norazeanti Miswan, 39, told the court that the funds originated from cheques issued by a construction company and were credited to Bersatu across 29 separate transactions.
Proceedings before Justice Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin heard Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin questioning the witness on whether the transactions were consistent with normal banking activity.
Norazeanti confirmed that the total amount involved was RM19.5 million.
“RM19.5 million was deposited into Bersatu’s account involving 29 transactions,” she said.
When asked whether the transaction pattern was typical, she said it was not.
“Yes, it is out of the ordinary because the transactions were continuous and involved large amounts,” she said.
The witness further confirmed that Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) were filed for each transaction and escalated to the bank’s headquarters for further review, citing concerns over repeated high-value payments made to a single recipient.
“Each transaction had an STR submitted and sent to Bank Muamalat headquarters for further assessment. This was because there were doubts in each transaction carried out by the company, namely the large withdrawal amounts and frequent payments to Bersatu,” she said.
She explained that the payments ranged between RM500,000 and RM2 million per transaction, consistently directed to the same account throughout the 2021 to 2022 period.
“The large and frequent nature of it was because the bank cheque withdrawals involved 29 transactions ranging from RM500,000 to RM2 million, and this frequency occurred from 2021 until the end of 2022 to the same recipient (Bersatu),” she said.
Norazeanti also told the court that such transactions were unusual based on her experience, as company payments typically align with business activities, and she had not previously encountered companies making payments directly to political parties.
“No, because normally other companies make payments according to other companies in line with their business activities. I have not seen other companies paying political parties,” she said.
The court was further informed that the company later closed its account on 26 February 2025 after receiving a closure notice from the bank.
The witness confirmed that she understood UMNO, PAS and DAP to be political parties, and said no similar transactions were recorded involving those entities.
“All of them are political parties,” she said.
“None,” she added when asked whether similar payments were made to those parties.
Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, 78, who was also Bersatu president at the time, is facing multiple charges involving alleged abuse of power and receipt of funds linked to the Jana Wibawa project.
He is accused of using his position as prime minister to obtain gratification amounting to RM225.3 million from several companies and an individual between March 2020 and August 2021, with the alleged offences said to have occurred at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya.
The charges are brought under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
He also faces three charges of receiving proceeds of unlawful activity totalling RM200 million, allegedly deposited into Bersatu-linked accounts at AmBank and CIMB branches in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur between February 2021 and July 2022 under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001. - April 28, 2026
