KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 31): A former deputy secretary general of the Home Ministry told the High Court on Monday (Oct 31) that Profound Radiance Sdn Bhd managed to obtain permission to operate a one-stop centre (OSC) for visas in Pakistan and Nepal, even though it had only requested in a letter to the ministry for its contract for the OSC in Bangladesh to be renewed.
Datuk Suriani Ahmad, 54, who is now the Domestic Trade, Consumer Affairs and Cooperatives secretary general, said the new OSC was agreed to by then home minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who was also the then deputy prime minister.
Suriani said that Profound Radiance had sent a letter to then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to consider renewing its OSC in Dhaka. Najib noted on the letter that he agreed to an extension, barring any offences committed by the company.
Suriani said the letter with Najib's note on it was sent to Zahid for consideration. However, Zahid also agreed to give the company the opportunity to operate OSC in Pakistan and Nepal.
The witness when cross-examined by deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob agreed that Najib's notation was not a directive by the then PM.
Abdul Malik: Do you agree that from the letters and minutes that Profound Radiance was given the OSC for Nepal and Pakistan?
Suriani: Yes.
Abdul Malik: The approval was given by the home minister (Zahid) then?
Suriani: Yes and this was based on a notation on the letter dated July 1, 2016.
Suriani is the fourth witness in Zahid's defence of his 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, graft and money laundering in relation to Yayasan Akalbudi.
When questioned by Abdul Malik, Suriani agreed that her testimony was mainly on Profound Radiance, and that she has no knowledge over another company, Datasonic Group Bhd.
Zahid in May testified that Profound Radiance followed proper procedures in obtaining the OSC for Pakistan and Nepal. Also, the Umno president denied he had requested payment of RM2 million from the company.
During the prosecution stage, businessman Azlan Shah Jaffril who acted for Profound Radiance denied that the sum paid to Zahid personally between Aug 3, 2017 and Jan 9, 2018 constituted a bribe, but said the payment was for charitable purposes, or a political donation.
Azlan, 49, insisted that the money paid to Zahid — nearly one-and-a-half years after the company obtained the contract — was not a bribe payment.
One of the 47 charges faced by Zahid involves purportedly receiving bribe from Azlan between Aug 3, 2017 and Jan 9, 2018.
'Major Mazlina not helpful'
Suriani also told the court that Major Mazlina Mazlan, who is the crown witness of the trial and a former aide of Zahid, was not a helpful aide as Suriani had asked Mazlina's help to meet the minister on one occasion but was not allowed to do so.
Suriani said she knew Mazlina as the officer who would accompany Zahid's wife Datin Seri Hamidah Khamis before Mazlina served with Zahid, after replacing one Datuk Rosiah.
"Mazlina, whom I know is quiet, likes to be on her own and would not mingle with others. I say this as there were a few incidents which I remember when Ahmad Zahid was then the defence minister and I was working as one of the division secretaries at the Defence Ministry and wanted to meet the minister, I informed Mazlina that I intended to meet Ahmad Zahid over the ministry's agenda but Mazlina did not give any response.
"As a result, I would wait outside the meeting room to meet Ahmad Zahid waiting for my turn. I waited for 25 minutes but Mazlina did not call me until Ahmad Zahid left."
Suriani said she felt slighted as at the same time, others were allowed to meet the minister but not her.
The witness also explained that Mazlina also did not perform her duties when accompanying the minister, as during an official visit to Beijing, China in 2017, Suriani asked Mazlina to take action as Hamidah's baggage was in excess of the weight allowed in a flight but Mazlina did not do anything.
"This resulted in other officers having to handle the situation," Suriani added.
Suriani also complained that there were times where Mazlina would wrongly arrange Zahid's programmes or diary, resulting in a clash in the minister's schedule.
"I know that Mazlina seldom discussed with Dr Sabri Zainudin, who was the principal private secretary to Ahmad Zahid. I felt that Mazlina should have discussed with Sabri before deciding an appointment, meeting or the daily affairs to avoid a clash," the witness added.
When cross-examined by DPP Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran, Suriani denied she was lying over her description of Mazlina.
Suriani maintained when asked by the defence during re-examination that such an incident happened and she did not lie over the matter.
The hearing continues before judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah on Tuesday (Nov 1).