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THE Member of Parliament for Padang Serai Datuk Azman Nasrudin pleaded not guilty today at the Shah Alam Sessions Court to charges of abetting corruption involving RM400,000 in connection with a Kedah state-owned cattle farming joint venture.
Azman, 53, faced the charge under Section 28(1)(c) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act for allegedly abetting businessman Amar Assuat Abu Bakar in receiving the bribe from Mohd Hassanaim Fauzi.
The payment was allegedly in return for assisting Mohd Hassanaim in obtaining a feedlot cattle farming project at Kedah Agro Holding Berhad (KAHB), Mukim Sungai Laka, Kubang Pasu, Kedah.
A conviction under the Act carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
The court was told that Azman, acting in concert with Amar Assuat, allegedly instructed the Chief Executive Officer of KAHB to issue a project offer letter to Mohd Hassanaim. The offence is said to have occurred at Jalan Medan Pusat 2D, Seksyen 9, Bandar Baru Bangi at 5pm on 23 June 2020.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muaz Ahmad Khairuddin Ahmad recommended bail of RM100,000 with the surrender of Azman’s passport. Representing the MP, lawyer N. Surendran argued that the bail was excessive, citing Azman’s responsibilities as a husband and father of five, as well as his obligation to care for his 82-year-old mother.
The court subsequently granted bail at RM75,000 with one surety, passport surrender, and a requirement to report monthly to the nearest MACC office. The case is set to be mentioned again on 17 January.
Azman arrived at the Shah Alam court complex around 8am, dressed in a blue shirt and grey blazer, and was seen consulting with Surendran and a team of lawyers including Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif, Nizamuddin Hamid, Shahid Adli, and Afiq Nordin. Security was heightened throughout the complex, with MACC officers stationed at multiple points and public access restricted.
A businessman (Amar Assuat), facing charges under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act for soliciting and receiving bribes in relation to the same project, was expected to be present in court. Sources indicated that he had already entered via a back entrance earlier.
Azman was arrested in Kedah last Friday before being released on MACC bail. Sources within MACC confirmed that the investigation, initiated in February, centred on allegations that he facilitated land-use rights for the Kedah government’s cattle farming venture in exchange for approximately RM400,000.
The MP has questioned the commission’s decision to change his status from witness to accused, describing it as politically motivated. He recounted that he was first called to the Kedah MACC office on 25 March as a witness and was later summoned on Thursday morning at the Sungai Buloh northbound rest area before being escorted to MACC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
Investigators confirmed that a complaint had been lodged on 10 February and that statements from 15 witnesses had been recorded as part of the ongoing probe. Court proceedings are expected to continue as authorities pursue the case. - December 8, 2025