KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 — Former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has always been generous with his donations without showing them off and checking the sum of money given away, his former press secretary Maj Gen (Rtd) Datuk Fadzlette Othman Merican Idris Merican told the High Court today.
Fadzlette, who is currently the media director for Zahid in his capacity as Umno president, was testifying as the second defence witness in the latter’s trial involving 47 charges.
Fadzlette has served Zahid for 11 years, starting from 2011 when she was media director to then defence minister Zahid. She later worked as press secretary for Zahid when he was home minister and deputy prime minister until May 2018, and subsequently changed to her current role.
“About donations by Datuk Seri Zahid, since I knew and worked with Datuk Seri Zahid, I know that he is a person who is very generous and a philanthropist.
“Among the donations that I know about, Datuk Seri Zahid never rejected any request for donations that are presented to him,” she said.
Fadzlette listed the donation requests which she was directly involved in, including requests from sports and welfare clubs of media agencies, letters from residential areas which mostly requested for mosque repairs, paying for tahfiz schools’ activities, and financial aid for recreational activities, noting that Zahid would give the donations.
“Usually when giving donations, he will not check how much is given and will just give to the individuals who need it. To the extent that there was one point, after giving donations, I remember Datuk Seri Zahid had asked me, ‘How much did I give, ya?’” she said.
Fadzlette added that Zahid did not want his donations to be seen as menunjuk-nunjuk (showing off) to the public.
“For example, he never wrote or placed any signboard or notice that he had donated at places where he had donated,” she said.
The trial before High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah resumes this afternoon, with the prosecution expected to cross-examine Fadzlette.
In this trial, Zahid is facing 47 charges, namely 12 counts of criminal breach of trust in relation to RM31 million charitable foundation Yayasan Akalbudi’s funds, 27 counts of money-laundering, and eight counts of bribery charges over the receiving of RM21.25 million in alleged bribes.
Zahid is a trustee and later became the sole signatory of cheques for Yayasan Akalbudi, a foundation formed to eradicate poverty and help the poor.
The 12 counts of criminal breach of trust is in relation to the alleged misappropriation of Yayasan Akalbudi funds, including RM1.3 million via 43 cheques for his and his wife’s credit card bills, RM107,509.55 via three cheques for vehicle insurance and road tax for 20 privately-owned vehicles, a RM1.3 million cheque to the police’s football association, a RM10 million cheque for a loan to Armada Holdings Sdn Bhd, RM360,000 via two cheques to political consultancy firm TS Consultancy & Resources, and over RM17.9 million of funds transferred from Yayasan Akalbudi to law firm Lewis & Co.
Zahid and his lawyers have sought to pin the blame on his former executive secretary Major Mazlina Mazlan @ Ramly over the use of Yayasan Akalbudi cheques for purposes such as paying the credit card bills.
Zahid and his lawyers have also justified the use of Yayasan Akalbudi funds to channel RM1.3 million to the police’s football association by saying that it fits within the charitable organisation’s objectives, as months of unpaid salary then meant the football players would be poor or in financial need.
