Sabah opposition leader Shafie Apdal's remand order extended by four days

Judge Ismail Brahim dismissed the challenge and Shafie, the Parti Warisan Sabah president, was due to be taken to a magistrate's court for the remand order to be extended later on Oct 23, 2017. PHOTO: THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK

KOTA KINABALU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Sabah opposition leader Shafie Apdal will be held until Friday (Oct 27) after a magistrate's court in Kota Kinabalu extended his remand for another four days.

The extension came after Malaysia's High Court on Monday dismissed the Parti Warisan Sabah president's challenge on the legality of his four-day remand order.

The MP for Semporna was remanded on Oct 20 as part of investigations into the alleged skimming of RM 1.5billion (S$482.7 million) meant for rural development projects in Sabah.

Shafie's lawyer, Martin Tommy, said the former Umno strongman had hoped for an earlier release so he would be able to attend the tabling of Budget 2018 on Friday.

"He has fully cooperated with the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)," he said. "He has given his thumbprints, documents and everything else they asked for," he added.

Shafie's wife Shurani Shuaib and their son Mohd Shezwi were in the courtroom during the hearing. Shafie's supporters, mostly clad in orange shirts, had also gathered outside the court to show support for him.

The former Rural and Regional Development Minister is being held in connection with a graft probe into the alleged skimming of government funds allegedly siphoned off through the ministry.

He has claimed that the investigations are part of "political assassination" moves to destroy him, and that these attempts have been afoot since he left Umno and set up Warisan last year.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is expected to make more arrests as it sifts through about 350 projects that were given to some 60 companies between 2009 and 2015. The RM1.5 billion was allegedly siphoned from RM7.5 billion worth of project funds.

The commission has so far frozen RM170 million in bank accounts and assets of some of the companies involved.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.