KUALA LUMPUR: Amid the low rumble of lawyers making last-minute preparations for the day’s proceedings, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin sat quietly at the public gallery of the High Court here this morning as his corruption trial got underway.
The former prime minister, seated next to his wife Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman on the front row, remained composed as he observed the courtroom proceedings before eventually taking his place in the dock.
Among those present in court were Bersatu vice-presidents Datuk Dr Radzi Md Jidin and Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, and the party secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Muhyiddin, 79, has become the second Malaysian prime minister to sit in the dock facing corruption charges, after Datuk Seri Najib Razak, whose cases linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal had dominated the courts for years.
The Pagoh member of Parliament is facing seven charges comprising four counts of abuse of power and three counts of money laundering linked to the Jana Wibawa programme.
The charges stem from allegations that he abused his position to solicit RM232.5 million in bribes for Bersatu, the party he led at the time, from several companies linked to government projects under the programme.
Inside the courtroom, the atmosphere was tense but orderly as lawyers and the prosecutors organised stacks of documents and exchanged quiet discussions before proceedings began.
Several members of the media and members of the public filled the gallery, closely following the start of the high-profile trial.
The trial before judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin is scheduled to run over multiple dates throughout the year, beginning today with the prosecution’s opening statement.
Muhyiddin was charged in 2023 with allegedly abusing his position to solicit RM232.5 million in bribes for Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd, Mamfor Sdn Bhd and Datuk Azman Yusoff.
He also faces three money laundering charges involving RM200 million, allegedly received from Bukhary Equity and deposited into Bersatu’s accounts at AmBank and CIMB Bank.
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