KUALA LUMPUR: A former Tourism and Culture Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz told the Session Court here today that he received a donation from Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, the contractor of the Penang undersea tunnel and paired road project.
Mohamed Nazri, 67, said the donation was to rehabilitate dilapidated religious schools in Pattani district in South Thailand.
He said this when he was cross-examined by former Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's lead counsel Gobind Singh Deo, who is representing Lim in a corruption case involving the construction of an undersea tunnel and paired road project in the state worth RM6.3 billion.
Gobind: Did you receive any payment for the case (tunnel project)? Mohamed Nazri replied "No".
The witness also denied he had received RM500,000 in cash from Zarul Ahmad.
Meanwhile, during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, the 14th prosecution witness said Zarul Ahmad knew that the donation was for the construction of religious schools in Pattani.
When questioned by Wan Shaharuddin, as to whether the donation was for charity, Mohamed Nazri replied, "I am from Hulu Perak, a Malay of Pattani descent. I have visited Pattani since 1975, there are many pondok schools that are rundown. So from the 1990s, I got involved in getting donations to build schools in South Thailand."
When he read his witness statement earlier, Mohamed Nazri said he came to know Zarul Ahmad in the early 1990s as a businessman through some of his old friends and they often exchanged views about the country's current affairs.
"After the introduction, I knew Zarul Ahmad owned several companies in Malaysia. One of those was Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd. I am close to Zarul Ahmad but not in terms of politics or business.
"I don't have any business dealings with him. I am close to him personally and socially. Throughout my association with him, I know he worked with various agencies and companies," he added.
Initially, Zarul Ahmad did tell him that he wanted to know someone of influence in Penang to get him a project, but he did not state what the project was related to, he said.
"Afer that, I took the initiative to contact and ask Lim if he is interested to meet Zarul regarding projects in Penang. Lim agreed to meet with him and I arranged a meeting for them in early January 2011 at the Shangri La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. I don't recall the actual date of the meeting.
"In early January 2011, I met with Lim at a pub in Shangri La Hotel. I don't remember about the nature of the conversation at the pub, but Lim and I met around 9 pm.
"Zarul Ahmad, who came alone, showed up 10 minutes after. Besides introducing Zarul Ahmad to Lim, I really did not have any other dealings with Lim. Lim is an acquaintance of mine in politics," Mohamed Nazri said.
The witness added that he could not recall if Zarul Ahmad had asked Lim to choose his company for any project in Penang throughout the one-hour meeting.
"As far as I recall, I also met Lim and Zarul Ahmad in March 2011 at an Italian restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. But I don't remember if I contacted Lim or Zarul Ahmad to meet at the restaurant. I also don't remember what time they both left the restaurant," he said.
Lim is charged with using his position and Penang chief minister to solicit RM3.3 million in kickbacks for helping a company owned by Zarul Ahmad to secure a construction project worth RM6,341,383,702 at the Penang Chief Minister's Office, Level 28, Komtar, George Town between January 2011 and August 2017.
He is also charged with soliciting 10 per cent of future profits from Zarul Ahmad as a reward for helping secure the project near The Garden Hotels, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur in March 2011.
Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, is facing two other charges involving two plots of land worth RM208.8 owned by the Penang state government that have been disposed to two companies allegedly linked to the undersea tunnel project.
The hearing before Judge Azura Alwi continues tomorrow.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Mon Nov 29 2021
![Nazri Aziz admits receiving donation from undersea tunnel contractor Nazri Aziz admits receiving donation from undersea tunnel contractor](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2021-11/81638196131_TBNAZRIAZIZ.jpg)
Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz told the Session Court here today that he received a donation from Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, the contractor of the Penang undersea tunnel and paired road project. - Sinar Harian file photo
![Malaysia, Brunei dalam proses rundingan muktamad sempadan darat negara - Mohamad Malaysia, Brunei dalam proses rundingan muktamad sempadan darat negara - Mohamad](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/41720590984_DatukSeriMohamadH.jpg)
Malaysia, Brunei dalam proses rundingan muktamad sempadan darat negara - Mohamad
Mohamad Hasan berkata buat masa ini, kerja-kerja penandaan dan pengukuran di lapangan telah meliputi 175.96 km atau 33.3 peratus daripada keseluruhan jarak sempadan.
![Perang berlarutan antara punca kelewatan penghantaran Black Hawk Perang berlarutan antara punca kelewatan penghantaran Black Hawk](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-04/51712121864_TBADLYZAHARIjp.jpg)
Perang berlarutan antara punca kelewatan penghantaran Black Hawk
Perkara itu dimaklumkan pihak Aerotree Defence and Services Sdn Bhd iaitu syarikat yang dipertanggungjawabkan dalam kontrak perolehan perkhidmatan sewaan helikopter berkenaan.
![Polis kesan remaja lelaki hilang sejak enam hari lepas Polis kesan remaja lelaki hilang sejak enam hari lepas](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61721115027_MuhammadAdiLagik.jpg)
Polis kesan remaja lelaki hilang sejak enam hari lepas
Polis sedang berusaha mengesan seorang remaja lelaki yang dilaporkan hilang oleh keluarganya di Kuala Pilah sejak enam hari lepas.
[TERKINI] Sidang media khas FAM
FAM adakan satu sidang media khas petang nanti, difahamkan berkaitan rombakan. Kepimpinan tertinggi FAM atau barisan kejurulatihan skuad Harimau Malaya?
![Penampilan pertama Trump di konvensyen GOP selepas terselamat cubaan bunuh Penampilan pertama Trump di konvensyen GOP selepas terselamat cubaan bunuh](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/71721113188_DonaldTrump.jpg)
Penampilan pertama Trump di konvensyen GOP selepas terselamat cubaan bunuh
Donald Trump menghadiri Konvensyen Kebangsaan Republikan pada malam Isnin, penampilan umum pertamanya sejak terselamat daripada cubaan bunuh.
![Malaysia pantau perkembangan insiden tembakan di Masjid Muscat Malaysia pantau perkembangan insiden tembakan di Masjid Muscat](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-05/71715148599_wismaputra.jpg)
Malaysia pantau perkembangan insiden tembakan di Masjid Muscat
Wisma Putra melalui Kedutaan Besar Malaysia di Muscat, Oman sedang giat menyelaras usaha dengan pihak berkuasa tempatan untuk mendapatkan maklumat lanjut.
![Ini antara pencapaian Pan-gon bersama Harimau Malaya Ini antara pencapaian Pan-gon bersama Harimau Malaya](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721112073_PangonHarimauMal.jpg)
Ini antara pencapaian Pan-gon bersama Harimau Malaya
Kim Pan-gon memiliki rekod yang cukup baik bersama Malaysia, menjadi pengendali Harimau Malaya paling banyak mendapatkan keputusan yang positif sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini.
![Kementerian Komunikasi umum Pakej Rahmah Prabayar Siswa Kementerian Komunikasi umum Pakej Rahmah Prabayar Siswa](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721112865_FahmiFadzil.jpg)
Kementerian Komunikasi umum Pakej Rahmah Prabayar Siswa
Kementerian Komunikasi hari ini mengumumkan Pakej Rahmah Prabayar Siswa pada harga tidak melebihi RM30.
![Messi harap cepat pulih daripada kecederaan Messi harap cepat pulih daripada kecederaan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/51719647184_LionelMessi.jpg)
Messi harap cepat pulih daripada kecederaan
Kapten Argentina, Lionel Messi berharap agar beliau cepat pulih daripada kecederaan buku lali yang dialaminya perlawanan akhir Copa America.
![MARA diminta terus teroka potensi industri halal global - Ahmad Zahid MARA diminta terus teroka potensi industri halal global - Ahmad Zahid](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/71721105894_AhmadZahidHamidi.jpg)
MARA diminta terus teroka potensi industri halal global - Ahmad Zahid
MARA diminta untuk terus meneroka potensi antarabangsa dalam industri halal yang mempunyai prospek besar menerusi program Gate to Global (GTG).