Witnesses praise Zahid as trustworthy, generous

KUALA LUMPUR: A project supervisor told the High Court yesterday that Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi always kept his promises and settled all payments to the contractor for development projects in Bagan Datuk.

Marlin Ahmad, 50, said his late brother, Sanusi Ahmad, founder of Sutida Enterprise, the company handling the projects, had informed him about the Deputy Prime Minister.

“I know that almost all works or projects undertaken by my late brother (Sanusi) were ordered by Datuk Seri (Ahmad) Zahid. Usually, Sanusi would carry out the work without asking for advance payment.

“This is because Datuk Seri (Ahmad) Zahid is a person who always keeps his word and pays for the work done. My late brother once told me that Datuk Seri sometimes paid more.”

He said this when reading his witness statement at Ahmad Zahid’s defence trial on 12 charges of breach of trust, eight charges of corruption, and 27 charges of money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit in Yayasan Akalbudi (YAB) funds.

Marlin said projects implemented by Sutida Enterprise in Bagan Datuk since 1999 include the Hamidiyah Orphanage worth RM1.14 million, the Seri Perkasa Mosque worth RM600,000, Surau Kampung Parit 25 Darat worth RM50,000, and the Hajah Tuminah Hall worth RM450,000. The latest project is the construction of Sekolah Menengah Imtiaz Tuminah Hamidi.

Ahmad Zahid, according to the 13th defence witness, did not want his contribution to be made public.

As a result, there was no notice or signboard indicating that any Sutida Enterprise construction was Ahmad Zahid’s.

Meanwhile, the chairman of Seri Perkasa Mosque in Kampung Seri Perkasa Hutan Melintang, Bagan Datuk, Atan Sampol, 67, told the court that Ahmad Zahid cared for the residents of Bagan Datuk, especially the orphans and the poor.

Atan said the Bagan Datuk MP was a philanthropist, and almost all the mosques and surau in the district were constructed from Ahmad Zahid’s donations.

“The construction cost (of the mosque) of nearly RM600,000 was 100% contributed by Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“This mosque, fully completed in 2006, was officiated in 2008,” he said.

The 14th defence witness said the payment for the construction of the mosque was made directly to the contractor, the late Sanusi, who died of cancer in 2015.

Atan, who has been a member of the mosque committee for nearly 20 years, said one of Ahmad Zahid’s contributions to the people of Bagan Datuk was to donate a cow to all 50 mosques and surau every Hari Raya Haji.

Ahmad Zahid also donated 100 to 200 packets of basic food items to Seri Perkasa Mosque during Ramadan and donated RM100 each to 1,500 tadarus Al-Quran participants.

During his testimony, Surau An-Nur Parit 25 Darat chairman in Bagan Datuk, Datuk Mokhtar Tukol, 66, stated he has known Ahmad Zahid for 35 years describing him as a generous individual.

The trial before Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Sept 4. — BK