KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 — The Sessions Court here was today told that Labuan Liberty Port Management Sdn Bhd (LLPM) was given temporary permission as the operator of the Labuan Federal Territory Merdeka Port Terminal.

Former Labuan Port Authority (LPL) board member Zulkurnain Ayub said the matter was decided at a LPL meeting which was held at the Hilton Hotel on January 4, 2018, and chaired by Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng.

"The decision was made after (former Labuan Member of Parliament) Datuk Rozman Isli recommended that the appointment of LP Multi Terminal Sdn Bhd as the new operator be postponed due to the political implications (then) as the 14th General Election (GE14) was in May 2018.

"The meeting agreed to postpone the appointment of the (new) port operator and gave temporary permission to LLPM to handle the port operation,” he said, adding that Rozman had never declared that his father and a younger brother were shareholders in LLPM.

Zulkurnain said this when reading out his witness statement at Rozman’s trial for allegedly using his position to obtain bribes, namely an employment contract as an operator of Labuan Port Merdeka Dock for LLPM in which his father and younger brother have an interest.

Zulkurnain, who is also the former general manager of the Bintulu Port Authority, said he and another LPL board member also supported Rozman’s proposal.

According to the 21st prosecution witness, when LPM was given temporary permission, it was not given the hope of being appointed to continue as the operator of the port’s operations, whereby LPL and LLPM were to sign an agreement on the monthly rental.

"The meeting agreed that LLPM will be charged a monthly rental of RM64,800 for the land, owned by the Federal Land Commissioner, for use as the port terminal,” added the witness.

He also said that apart from political implications, the appointment of the (new) port operator was also shelved because the port tariff had yet to be finalised then.

Meanwhile, he agreed with a suggestion by lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, representing Rozman, that the decision to postpone the appointment of the port operator was made by LPL board members in a meeting and not individually.

When re-examined by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Feisal Mohd Azmi regarding the political implications on Rozman, the witness said it was raised by Rozman during a meeting and was agreed upon by Datuk Chua Kok Ching and Datuk Mohd Rafi Alli Hassan, who were then LPL board members.

Rozman, 57, is charged as an official of a public body, the Deputy Chairman of the Labuan Port Authority, to have used his position to obtain gratification, namely an employment contract as the operator for Dermaga Merdeka Pelabuhan Labuan for LLPM, in which his father and younger brother have an interest in.

The offence was allegedly committed at the TKSU Meeting Room, Level 9, Ministry of Transport Malaysia, Jalan Tun Hussein, Precinct 4, Putrajaya between 2.30pm and 5.30pm on March 21, 2018.

He is charged under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act and can be punished under Section 24(1) of the same act, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000 whichever is higher, if convicted

The hearing before Judge Rozina Ayob continues tomorrow. — Bernama