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Key Highlights
Road to nowhere: Ex-deputy minister taken for a ride
Professors’ council, HRD Corp in auditor’s crosshairs
King's Counsel to represent Muhyiddin
Road to nowhere: Ex-deputy minister taken for a ride
A former deputy minister has become the victim of a scam involving the construction of a highway, where the perpetrators claimed that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s cousin was the owner of the company behind the project.
Malaysiakini learned that the scam was so meticulously planned and convincing that even the former deputy minister was deceived by the detailed project paperwork.
The ex-leader is one of several owners of security firms who fell for the scam. They were told that their companies would be tasked with safeguarding construction materials.
Speaking to Malaysiakini on condition of anonymity, the former deputy minister said he paid RM250,000 as a “procurement commitment fee” that was supposed to be refundable.
“It was my son who made the payment without consulting me.
“However, I later discovered that the project was nowhere to be found,” he said.
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Professors’ council, HRD Corp in auditor’s crosshairs
The Auditor-General’s Department found that The National Professors Council (NPC) has abused its funding. The NPC is a government-funded council of professors in Malaysian universities.
This included paying large allowances totalling RM207,000 to the permanent chairperson and deputy chairperson without ministerial approval.
Meanwhile, the AG’s Department also urged the Human Resources Ministry to refer the management of the Human Resources Development Corporation (HRD Corp) to the relevant enforcement agencies after the government entity failed its audit.
Among others, auditors found mismanagement of hundreds of millions of ringgit involving training grants, investments and property purchases.
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King's Counsel to represent Muhyiddin
A King’s Counsel (KC) from the United Kingdom is set to appear for former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin during next week’s Court of Appeal hearing of the latter's review to quash his abuse of power charges.
Steven Perian, who is the first KC to be admitted to the High Court of Malaya, will beef up the Pagoh MP’s legal team when the review hearing before a five-person bench begins next Tuesday.
A member of Muhyiddin’s legal team confirmed the participation of Perian, who has also become a partner in the law firm RDS Partnership acting for the lawmaker.
The Legal 500, a company that researches and evaluates members of the legal sector around the world, lauded Perian for his exceptional legal acumen.
Perian, a distinguished criminal lawyer, has acted for the Crown in prosecuting various economic offences and financial crimes, including conspiracy to defraud the UK’s financial institutions of United States Treasury Bonds worth US$2.3 trillion (RM10.8 trillion), computer-related crimes and money laundering.
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Views that matter
| By Ooi Kok Hin |
 | By Romen Bose |
 | By Lim Teck Ghee |
Other news that matter
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Putrajaya’s proposal to amend the country’s law on drug addicts has received pushback from NGOs and experts on addiction.
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