Ex-UKM Centre Director Pleads Not Guilty To RM3.12 Million Power Abuse Charges

SHAH ALAM, Oct 15  – A retired director of an education centre at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court today to two counts of abusing his position to secure employment contracts worth RM3.12 million in 2022.

Datuk Prof Muhammad Hussin, 64, entered his plea after the charges were formally read before Judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin.

According to the charge sheet, Muhammad, acting as a member of Koperasi Siswazah Bangi Berhad (KSBB), allegedly leveraged his office to secure two contracts valued at RM1.2 million and RM1.92 million, respectively, to manage the Master of Education programme through UKM’s Faculty of Education.

The prosecution alleges that he influenced KSBB board members during two separate meetings to approve appointing QTech Management Malaysia Sdn Bhd—a company in which he purportedly held an interest—as the official operator for the programme.

The alleged offences occurred on February 26 and June 25, 2022, at Kolej Keris Mas, UKM, and Hotel Tenera in Bangi.

The charges were framed under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 (Act 694). If convicted, the offence carries a penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the value of the gratification involved or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Bail Application, Medical Conditions, and Case Management

The court heard arguments regarding bail amounts and travel restriction conditions:

• Prosecution Request: MACC Deputy Public Prosecutor Muaz Ahmad Khairuddin proposed setting bail at RM300,000, along with mandatory conditions requiring the accused to surrender his passport, report periodically to the MACC office, and refrain from tampering with prosecution witnesses.
• Defense Mitigation: Defense attorney Muhammad Wafi Anwar Roslan requested a reduced bail sum of RM50,000. He cited his client’s financial dependence on a monthly pension and his responsibilities supporting two wives and nine children. The defense further noted that Muhammad suffers from heart disease and synovial sarcoma requiring medical treatment, and asked the court not to compel passport surrender as his second wife and child reside in Indonesia.
• Court Order: Judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin granted bail at RM80,000. The court ordered the accused to surrender his passport and refrain from contacting prosecution witnesses during proceedings.

The Sessions Court fixed November 12, 2026, for case mention.

–NMT