Former Treasury chief concedes no SRC showcases delivered despite RM4b KWAP loan

Politics
11 Jul 2019 • 3:08 PM MYT
Malay Mail
Malay Mail

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Former Treasury secretary-general, Tan Sri Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah is pictured at the Kuala Lumpur High Court July 11, 2019. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — A former Treasury secretary-general agreed in court today that no marquee projects came of the RM4 billion that Retirement Fund (Incorporated) [KWAP] loaned to SRC International Sdn Bhd in 2011 and 2012.

Tan Sri Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah, who also served as KWAP’s chairman from 2008 to 2012, agreed with deputy public prosecutor Datuk Suhaimi Ibrahim that unlike projects under prime ministers before Datuk Seri Najib Razak, there were no specific undertaking he could link to SRC’s investments.

Wan Abdul Aziz previously agreed that Najib’s predecessors had pushed for certain government projects to be funded before proper documentation was provided to the relevant government agencies, just as SRC International had done when applying for the two RM2 billion loans from KWAP.

Suhaimi: You were shown several projects, like the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA), where accommodation projects were sped up for tourists. Even though there was pressure (from the then prime ministers) that (we) didn’t know was legal or not, but does the projects still exist?

Wan Abdul Aziz : Yes

Suhaimi: As for SRC, until now, do you know what was done with the loaned money?

Wan Abdul Aziz: No

Earlier, he agreed with defence lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah when the latter said previous government-backed projects were also funded prior to full documentation and cited the LIMA events during the first Mahathir administration as an example.

Wan Abdul Aziz had also agreed with Shafee that projects to develop accommodation for LIMA were approved and began even before the air show was confirmed officially.

The former official additionally acknowledged his familiarity with LIMA, its related applications and funding approvals by virtue of his service with the Treasury at the time.

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