Muhyiddin Jana Wibawa Trial: JKR Director Confirms PMO Never Interfered in Project Disbursements

KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 — In a significant development for the defense, the High Court heard today that the Prime Minister’s Office exerted zero influence over the disbursement of funds for a major road project linking Felda Bukit Jalor to Gemas. The confirmation emerged during the ongoing Muhyiddin Yassin Jana Wibawa trial, where a senior civil servant testified that standard government procurement procedures were strictly followed without any executive interference.

Negeri Sembilan Public Works Department (JKR) Director Datuk Wan Hasnan Wan Musa testified that the federal administration had accepted a RM62 million tender from KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd. He noted that the project carried a contract timeline spanning 34 months.

“Based on the Government Procurement Procedures, I confirm that a contract must be finalised within three months from the date the Letter of Acceptance (LOA) is issued. I also confirm that the project commenced on Dec 22, 2021, and that I served as the Superintending Officer for the project,” the 17th prosecution witness said while presenting his written witness statement.

The defense scored a major point during the cross-examination by Muhyiddin’s lead counsel, Chetan Jethwani. When questioned about the administrative process behind the contract, the witness explicitly agreed that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) did not interfere in the process of disbursing payments or the advance payment to KCJ Engineering. This admission directly challenges the prosecution’s narrative of executive overreach in the Muhyiddin Yassin Jana Wibawa trial.

Wan Hasnan, who took over as the state’s JKR director in late 2021, verified that the total sum of RM24.4 million was disbursed into the firm’s corporate bank account across 10 distinct transactions between May 2022 and February 2023. This included a standard RM10 million advance mobilization payment.

“I confirm that this payment was made as an advance payment under the contract for the project to build a new road linking Felda Bukit Jalor to Gemas. Based on this payment voucher, I confirm that RM10 million was paid into KCJ Engineering’s bank account,” he said during his examination-in-chief by Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Nur Iman Wan Mohd Afzal.

Further highlighting the routine administrative nature of the project, Wan Hasnan noted that three subsequent recommended payments totaling RM4.7 million were delayed purely due to insufficient allocations within standard state budgets, rather than political intervention. He added that the project has progressed smoothly, with the remaining works expected to be fully completed by the end of July.

The 79-year-old former prime minister and Bersatu president has consistently maintained his innocence against four counts of using his position to obtain bribes for his political party, and three separate money laundering charges. The defense maintains that all allocations under the Jana Wibawa program adhered to legitimate financial channels. The trial before High Court Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin will proceed tomorrow.

-NMT