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FORMER chief executive officer of Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia (YR1M), Ung Su Ling, told the High Court she only learned from media reports that RM42 million earmarked for corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives had in fact been transferred into Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal bank accounts.
Testifying as the first witness in the RM42 million civil suit brought by SRC International Sdn Bhd and its subsidiary Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd against the former prime minister, Ung said she had received instructions in September 2014 from Najib’s then-principal private secretary, the late Datuk Azlin Alias.
“At the material time, I did not have any visibility as to how the funds were utilised,” The Edge quoted Ung saying. “I can only be certain that I had followed [Azlin’s] instructions to instruct [Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Seri Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman] to disburse the RM42 million into the specific AmBank accounts, that is, the '880 and '906 accounts.
“However, based on media reports and the decision [in Najib's SRC criminal case], I understand the '880 and '906 accounts in which the funds were transferred to be the personal bank accounts of [Najib],” she added.
Ung said she had been informed that the funds were intended for CSR programmes and did not think to question Azlin further.
“I did not think to inquire further since the late Datuk Azlin mentioned that it was for CSR purposes and I took his word for it,” she testified. “I had no reason to doubt him given our working relationship.”
She confirmed that the funds did not originate from YR1M, which she was heading at the time, but only later discovered via news reports that the money had come from SRC.
She recounted that after her initial meeting with Azlin, she received further instructions in December 2014 to direct transfers of RM27 million to the ‘880 account and RM5 million to the ‘906 account. In February 2015, another RM10 million was to be sent to ‘880.
When asked during cross-examination by defence counsel Muhammad Farhan Shafee if she ever questioned the legitimacy of the instructions, Ung replied: “It’s not my place. If you were to give money to someone, \[it’s] not my place to enquire, right?”
She further admitted that “at times instructions would come from Najib via Azlin,” adding simply: “I didn’t ask why.”
YR1M was a charity founded in January 2013 under Najib’s 1Malaysia vision, with a board of trustees that included Azlin, former 1MDB chairman Tan Sri Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin and special officer Datuk Wan Ahmad Shihab Wan Ismail.
Ung confirmed that YR1M received approximately RM210 million from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), RM230 million from the Genting Group, and RM3 million from Petronas.
The trial before Justice Datuk Raja Ahmad Mohzanuddin Shah Raja Mohzan continues on 8 September.
SRC and Gandingan Mentari are seeking the return of RM42 million transferred to Najib’s accounts and a court declaration holding him liable. In a separate suit, SRC is also seeking to recover US\$1.18 billion in alleged losses, citing breaches of duty and trust. - August 15, 2025