Perlis prince, Tan Sri Syed Anwar, as he goes to testify he received ‘instructions’ to act for Umno. – Picture by Choo Choy May
The brother to the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail, was the second defence witness to testify today in a civil suit launched in 2005 by former Realmild director Datuk Khalid Ahmad to gain the second half of a RM10 million payment of five per cent of the company’s shares, which took place during a shake-up and buy-out said to be related to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sacking from government.
Abdul Rahman had claimed he had received “instructions” to transfer blocks of shares, amounting to some seven million, to Syed Anwar who was to hold them in trust for the powerful Malay ruling political party.
Questioned by defence lawyer Alex De Silva, Syed Anwar said he had been approached by former Finance Minister II, Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, and “instructed” to turn around conglomerate Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) sometime around mid-2001, just before the former’s brother rose to become the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.
Syed Anwar added that further instruction was later given by Nor Mohamed – on behalf of then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi – and to transfer Realmild shares to another businessman, Datuk Abdul Latif Abdullah, in September 2006.
De Silva: When you were given instructions, were you in any position to refuse?
Syed Anwar: No. But I didn’t see any reason not to.
De Silva: What was Nor Mohamed’s position then?
Syed Anwar: I think at that time, he was appointed the Minister of Finance II.
Syed Anwar added there was “nothing in writing” either from Nor Mohamed or any other party to indicate the shares were being held in trust by him for Umno.
Pressed further, he said “it was implied” to be so.
De Silva: Were you aware the true beneficiary was Umno?
Syed Anwar: It was implied, but I was not interested.
In cross-examination from Khalid’s lawyer, Ahmad Fadzil Mohd Perdaus, Syed Anwar said he had never received any “cash considerations” for his role in the corporate dance, but was spurred purely by the challenge to turn around a troubled conglomerate – as Abdul Rahman described in court the debt-ridden MRCB at that period in time.
Ahmad Fadzil: This indicates you had to wait for instruction from the PM?
Syed Anwar: Ya. I suppose that would be right.
Ahmad Fadzil: Effectively, these shares you held were only on instruction from the PM?
Syed Anwar: Yes.
The one-time director of Realmild said he was “surprised” when he was given instructions but had been “mandated” to turn around MRCB and was proud he accomplished his job.
“Actually, it’s not for me to ask. I’d just been given the mandate to turn around [MRCB]. To me it was not strange at all,” he told the court when asked if he did not find it strange to be “instructed” to turn around a conglomerate without any “cash considerations” being discussed.
The court case reveals the chain of command between Umno and certain Malaysian conglomerate leaders in the past.
Syed Anwar, or his full name Syed Zainol Anwar Ibni Syed Putra Jamalullail, has been group chairman of Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS) Berhad since 2006 and is also currently chairman of EON Bank Berhad, EON Capital Berhad and Nestle (M) Berhad.
Before joining Realmild, the 58-year-old had helped to turn around the Lembaga Urusan dan Tabung Haji (Tabung Haji), the state-run central fund for Muslim Malaysians, also after being approached by Nor Mohamed.
A certified accountant, Syed Anwar kicked off his professional career as a financial accountant with Malaysia Airlines System Berhad (MAS) in 1975 and has worked for global accounting firm, Price Waterhouse in Australia and has held senior posts at several other top companies in Malaysia, including as chairman of MRCB, Media Prima Berhad, DRB-HICOM Berhad, and as a director of Maxis Communications Berhad.
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