Malaysia high court acquits former PM Muhyiddin of power abuse charges
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's High Court on Tuesday (Aug 15) acquitted and discharged former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin of four counts of abuse of power involving RM232.5 million (US$50 million), though he still faces three other charges of money laundering.
Judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin ruled that the four abuse of power charges were vague, flawed and unfounded because they did not specify the details of the offences committed.
“Therefore, the court allowed the applicant’s (Muhyiddin) application to strike out all four charges. With this, the applicant is acquitted and discharged,” he said.
Muhyiddin was charged with using his position then as prime minister and president of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) to obtain bribes from three companies - Bukhary Equity, Nepturis and Mamfor - and also from one Azman Yusoff, for the party.
He was charged with committing the offences at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya between Mar 1, 2020, and Aug 20, 2021.
In a press conference after he was acquitted, Muhyiddin reportedly said he had always acknowledged that the charges brought against him were politically motivated.
“I did not commit any wrongdoing from the perspective of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s laws or any other law, and this has been proven by the (court’s) decision today.
“It is evident to the general public what certain parties have done to persecute me,” he was quoted by Free Malaysia Today as telling reporters outside the High Court.
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Aside from the four charges that were dropped, Muhyiddin faces three other charges of money laundering.
On Mar 10, he was charged with two counts of money laundering amounting to RM195 million.
Under the two money laundering charges, Muhyiddin was accused of receiving a total of RM195 million of proceeds from illegal activities from Bukhary Equity which were deposited into Bersatu’s bank account.
The offences were allegedly committed between Feb 25, 2021 and Jul 8, 2022.
Subsequently, on Mar 13, Muhyiddin was charged with illegally receiving RM5 million from the same firm.
According to local media, he was accused of receiving the money that was deposited into Bersatu’s bank account on Jan 7 last year.
The 76-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Muhyiddin was Malaysia’s eighth prime minister from March 2020 to August 2021, assuming the top position following a political manoeuvre known as the “Sheraton Move” in Feb 2020 that saw Bersatu leave Pakatan Harapan (PH).
Besides Muhyiddin, other Bersatu politicians with pending court cases include former information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan as well as Segambut Bersatu division deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad.
Wan Saiful has claimed trial and pleaded not guilty to accepting and soliciting bribes of almost RM7 million in relation to the government’s Jana Wibawa aid programme.
He was also charged with soliciting an unspecified amount for a road project worth RM232 million.
Meanwhile, Adam Radlan has also claimed trial for soliciting and accepting a bribe of RM500,000 in relation to the Jana Wibawa programme.
The programme was introduced in November 2020, when Muhyiddin was prime minister, as a COVID-19 stimulus package to help Bumiputera contractors.
At the recent six state election held over the weekend, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition - of which Bersatu is a component party of - made inroads in states held by the unity government while maintaining a firmer hold in the states of Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Of the 245 seats contested in the election, PN won 146 seats across the six states.
The coalition increased its presence in the state assemblies of Selangor from five to 22, in Penang from one to 11 and from zero to five in Negeri Sembilan.
It also won 33 of the 36 seats contested in Kedah, 43 of 45 seats in Kelantan and made a clean sweep of the 32 seats in Terengganu.
DEVELOPMENT MEANS A BOOST TO PERIKATAN NASIONAL: ANALYST
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Dr Azmi Hassan said that Muhyiddin’s acquittal of his four charges meant that PN can be seen in a more “positive light”, especially as it comes just two days after the state polls.
Dr Azmi also believes that Muhyiddin’s acquittal of the charges also shone a bad light on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his unity government.
“Maybe it was a sloppy job by the Attorney-General and it should have never happened because Muhyiddin is a big political icon. If he is being charged, the charges better stick.
“This development makes it seem like he is a victim. It is a boost to Perikatan Nasional,” he told CNA.
