.png)
THE prosecution is finalising the witness statement of former Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz as part of the ongoing trial against former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who faces multiple charges of abusing his position to solicit RM232.5 million in bribes and receive RM200 million in illicit funds.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin told High Court Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin that nearly all witness statements—99.5 per cent—had been provided to the defence, with only Tengku Zafrul’s statement still pending.
“Tengku Zafrul’s statement will be handed to the defence two weeks before he testifies in court,” Wan Shaharuddin said.
Muhyiddin’s lawyer, Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad, confirmed receipt of the statements but noted that the defence has yet to receive a statement from prominent businessman Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhari.
“We seek confirmation on whether Syed Mokhtar will be called to testify. We accept the prosecution’s discretion in this matter,” he added, highlighting that Syed Mokhtar’s name had not appeared in the witness list submitted for the Projek Jana Wibawa case.
Wan Shaharuddin clarified that Syed Mokhtar’s name had been included in the witness list for separate money laundering charges, which was provided to the defence three years ago.
“If no witness statement is submitted to the defence, the witness will likely testify orally,” he said.
Judge Noor Ruwena directed the prosecution to submit the full witness list by this Friday. Muhyiddin, 78, was absent from proceedings after being granted leave by the court.
The court has scheduled 29 hearing days for the case, beginning with sessions on March 9 to 11, April 13, 16, 28 and 29, May 25 to 26, July 6 to 10, 13 to 17, and 27 to 29, and continuing in August.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin, who was Prime Minister and Bersatu president at the time of the alleged offences, was previously denied an application to dismiss seven charges against him by the Attorney General’s Chambers on October 7 last year.
He faces 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 Datuk Azman Yusoff in connection with the Jana Wibawa project.
The offences were allegedly committed at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya between March 1 and August 2020.
In addition, Muhyiddin faces three charges of receiving RM200 million in illegal proceeds from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, deposited into Bersatu’s Ambank and CIMB Bank accounts, with the alleged transactions occurring between February 25, 2021, and July 16, 2022, across branches in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur.
The case is widely regarded as a significant test of accountability for senior political figures in Malaysia, with proceedings closely monitored by both the public and media. - February 23, 2026