M Kulasegaran says he will ask the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to clarify why Bersatu’s Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad was allowed to keep RM500,000 in bribes after paying a RM4.1 million compound, which led to his acquittal of corruption and money laundering charges.
The deputy law and institutional reform minister also clarified that the total sum of the bribe money in question was RM4.6 million, and not RM9.9 million as previously reported.
“I also feel this is odd. I don’t understand the logic. How is it that out of RM4.6 million, only RM4.1 million has been compounded? Where is the remaining RM500,000?
“If this is the (norm), then we can happily steal and then pay a small compound sum and flee. I believe MACC can give a statement on this,” he said when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill (Budget) 2026 at the committee stage for his ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to Teresa Kok (PH-Seputeh), who asked the same question about the Segambut Bersatu deputy chief earlier today.
Asked by Ramkarpal Singh (PH-Bukit Gelugor) whether the Attorney-General’s Chambers would file an appeal against Adam Radlan’s acquittal, Kulasegaran said he would have filed an appeal if he was the attorney-general.
Adam Radlan was charged in February 2023 with five counts of soliciting and accepting up to RM9.9 million in bribes to help two companies secure projects linked to the Perikatan Nasional government’s Jana Wibawa programme, an economic empowerment initiative for Bumiputera contractors launched during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He also faced seven charges of laundering more than RM3 million.
On Aug 20, he was acquitted of all 12 charges after the prosecution accepted his offer to pay a compound under Section 92(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 200.
Last night, law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said Adam Radlan was freed by the court after the prosecution exercised its discretion to withdraw the corruption and money laundering charges against him following his payment of the compound.
