Muhyiddin ally nabbed as graft busters probe alleged misappropriation of $28b in Covid-19 packages

The close associate of former Malaysian prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin (above) is accused of taking bribes. PHOTO: MUHYIDDIN YASSIN/FACEBOOK

KUALA LUMPUR - A close associate of former Malaysian prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has been nabbed by graft busters over his alleged role in brokering government projects in exchange for bribes.

According to a well-placed source, the man – the chief executive of a private company – is being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in relation to alleged misappropriation of Covid-19 stimulus packages worth RM92.5 billion (S$28.2 billion) by the then Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration.

“He is close to Mr Muhyiddin and is a divisional Bersatu leader as well,” the source told The Straits Times on Thursday. Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and Parti Islam SeMalaysia are the main components of Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s PN.

MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki has confirmed the arrest.

The man is accused of taking bribes to connect contractors to high-ranking officials. He will be detained until Jan 10.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in jail and a fine of up to five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, The Star Online reported.

ST has learnt that the 42-year-old is also a council member of the Tan Sri Muhyiddin Charity Golf Foundation.

According to its website, the foundation “aims to achieve a series of objectives through contributions made by corporations and individuals at a series of charity events held during the course of each year”.

MACC raided eight government agencies and nine companies in December 2022 as part of its probe into the alleged misappropriation of RM92.5 billion by the PN government.

An MACC source told ST then that investigations had found that these agencies had received a “huge allocation” from the stimulus packages approved by the government in 2020 and 2021. 

Mr Muhyiddin was Malaysia’s prime minister from March 2020 to August 2021 before he was replaced by Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob, whose party is now a member of the unity government.

In early December 2022, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim halted flood mitigation projects worth RM7 billion that had been approved that year under Datuk Seri Ismail. He also ordered a review of Malaysia’s state-owned 5G network that is now being rolled out, saying its formulation lacked transparency.

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