Kuala lumpur: A director of Metrasys Sdn Bhd testified in the High Court today, asserting that he had no intention to deceive the Ministry of Finance (MOF) or the government to secure projects under the Jana Wibawa Programme. Lian Tan Chuan, 55, who is also the founder of Nepturis Sdn Bhd, stated that he had never sought government projects due to limited opportunities for non-Bumiputera companies compared to Bumiputera companies.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Lian was questioned by Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin during the trial of former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Muhyiddin is facing seven charges of abuse of power and money laundering linked to the Jana Wibawa project. In a previous proceeding, Aliza Abd Malek, a director and senior procurement executive at Nepturis Sdn Bhd, testified that the company received an email from the MOF on March 26, 2021, indicating that they secured the project to construct the North Klang District Police Headquarters (IPD) in Selangor, valued at RM141 million.
When asked if Metrasys could be converted into a Bumiputera company, Lian responded that while it was possible, he chose to keep Metrasys solely for himself and his wife. He explained that they had different plans for a Bumiputera company, which led to the establishment of Nepturis. However, he noted that under the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) requirements, his name could not be registered in two companies simultaneously. If it were registered in Nepturis, it would be rejected, preventing the company from obtaining the G7 licence and Bumiputera status.
In earlier proceedings, Aliza mentioned that in 2018, she and Mohd Rizman, Nepturis' managing director, took over the company from Lian and became company directors, each holding a 50 percent stake. Lian held a 30 percent equity stake in Nepturis since all of the company's capital was injected by Metrasys.
Wan Shaharuddin also inquired about why Metrasys' letter of interest was not included in the application for the North Klang IPD construction project. Lian clarified that Metrasys was not a Bumiputera company. Regarding political contributions, Lian admitted that Datuk Azman Yusoff and Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad had solicited contributions for the political party Bersatu.
Upon further questioning, Lian confirmed contributing RM1 million after receiving the Letter of Acceptance for the North Klang IPD project, at the request of Datuk Azman. He clarified that the contribution was made because Nepturis had secured the project. He also agreed with the suggestion by counsel Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad, representing Muhyiddin, that he had never met or discussed with Muhyiddin, nor did he know him personally.
Muhyiddin, who was prime minister and Bersatu president at the time, faces charges of using his position to obtain RM225.3 million for the party from four companies, including Nepturis, related to the Jana Wibawa Project. He was charged with these offences at the Prime Minister's Office, Perdana Putra Building in Putrajaya, between March 1, 2020, and August 20, 2021, under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.
Additionally, Muhyiddin faces charges of receiving RM200 million in proceeds from unlawful activities from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, deposited into Bersatu's AmBank and CIMB Bank accounts between February 2021 and July 2022. The trial before Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin is set to continue tomorrow.