Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak had instructed Felda to purchase the Merdeka Palace Hotel in Kuching, Sarawak, after an earlier proposal to acquire the property from Gegasan Abadi Sdn Bhd was rejected by Felda Investment Corporation (FIC)'s board, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur heard today.

Muhammad Zahid Md Arip, 53, who served as an assistant to former Felda chairperson Mohd Isa Samad (below) from 2011 to 2016, said this was based on a...