Two company directors, Yong Chun Jiat, 38, (light blue shirt) and Seow Kian Ang, 53, (dark blue shirt) were charged at the Sessions Court today with giving RM2.4 million to an engineering company contract manager to secure tenders. NSTP/DAWN CHAN
Two company directors, Yong Chun Jiat, 38, (light blue shirt) and Seow Kian Ang, 53, (dark blue shirt) were charged at the Sessions Court today with giving RM2.4 million to an engineering company contract manager to secure tenders. NSTP/DAWN CHAN
SHAH ALAM: Two company directors were charged in the Sessions Court here today with multiple counts of bribery involving more than RM2.4 million allegedly paid in cash to an engineering company contract manager to secure tenders in 2024 and last year.
SKA Technology Sdn Bhd director Seow Kian Ang, 53, dressed in a dark blue shirt, faced four charges involving RM1.352 million.
Meanwhile, PC Installation and Contracting Sdn Bhd director Yong Chun Jiat, 38, wearing a light blue shirt, was charged with six counts amounting to RM1.05 million.
Both men pleaded not guilty after the charges were read before judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin.
According to the charge sheets, Seow allegedly paid RM338,000 in cash on four occasions to a 34-year-old contract manager through a 39-year-old intermediary.
The payments were allegedly made as an inducement to assist Seow’s company in securing a sub-contractor tender involving the design, planning, supply, delivery, installation, testing, commissioning, warranty and comprehensive maintenance of a security system.
He is alleged to have committed the offences on Aug 1 and Dec 26, 2024, as well as April 23 and July 10 last year in Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, and Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya.
Yong was accused of giving cash to the same contract manager in the sums of RM100,000, RM96,000, RM154,000, RM150,000, RM150,000 and RM400,000 on six occasions between Aug 5, 2024 and May 18 last year in areas including Ara Damansara and Glenmarie.
The payments were allegedly made as inducement to assist Yong’s company in securing a sub-contractor tender for the design, planning, supply, delivery, installation, testing, commissioning, warranty and comprehensive maintenance of electrical low voltage works (external LV package).
All charges were framed under Section 16(b)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
The prosecution, led by deputy public prosecutor Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan, said the offences were non-bailable. “However, if the court exercises its discretion to allow bail, it should be set at RM500,000 with one surety for each accused. “As additional conditions, each accused must surrender his passport to the court, report to the nearest Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office and refrain from tampering with witnesses,” she said. In mitigation, Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent, counsel for Seow, urged the court to reduce bail to RM50,000.
“He was called to the MACC five times and attended without fail. There is no risk of him absconding or refusing to cooperate. “His family is here and he has promised to attend court proceedings. He is prepared to surrender his passport, but the requirement to report to the MACC monthly is unnecessary,” he said.
Datuk N. Sivananthan, representing Yong, said his client had been investigated as a witness since July last year before being reclassified as a suspect last week. “There is no issue of him harassing witnesses as he resigned from the company yesterday. “He is not a flight risk. Even after being reclassified as a suspect, he turned up to sign the necessary documents and appeared in court today.
“His father is present in court and is prepared to stand as bailor,” he said. Sivananthan also claimed that the contract manager referred to in the charges had allegedly attempted to burn RM1 million during an MACC raid. In reply, Farah Ezlin said the proposed bail amount was reasonable given the seriousness of the offences and the large sums involved, and to ensure the accused would not abscond.
She said the prosecution had the prerogative under the MACC Act to reclassify Yong from witness to suspect, adding that other irrelevant matters raised by the defence should be addressed during the trial. After hearing submissions from both sides, Mohd Nasir set bail at RM100,000 with one surety for each accused.
He ordered both men to surrender their passports and refrain from interfering with witnesses. The court did not impose a monthly reporting requirement to the MACC and fixed March 16 for mention of both cases.
Also appearing for the prosecution were deputy public prosecutors Julaila Jamaludin, Nidzuwan Abd Latip and ‘Atirah Mohd Azuari Zanuddin.