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Daily Express
27-06-2025
- Daily Express
Large amount of money belonged to others
Published on: Friday, June 27, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 27, 2025 By: Jo Ann Mool Text Size: Ag Mohd Tahir, 63, is on trial together with his wife, Fauziah Piut, 60, and former deputy director, Lim Lam Beng, 66, with each facing separate charges among a total of 37 for money laundering involving RM61.57 million in cash and bank savings, as well as unlawful possession of luxury items between October and November 2016. Kota Kinabalu: Former Water Department Director, Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib, told the Special Corruption Court on Thursday that a large sum of money belonging to others was kept in the pantry of his office. During cross-examination by Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Mahadi Abdul Jumaat, before Judge Abu Bakar Manat, Ag Mohd Tahir said there were items belonging to others in the pantry, namely a large sum of money, at the time of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) raid in 2016. On Wednesday, Ag Mohd Tahir, in his witness statement during examination-in-chief regarding the money found in the pantry of his office at Wisma Muis, stated that most of the money did not belong to him and had already been there when he took office in 2003. He added that part of the money was his, which he had received from business partnerships with Michael Wong, Fauzi and Haris. Ag Mohd Tahir said most of the money found in the pantry was not his, as it had already been there when he started occupying the office. He estimated that about RM20 million was already in the pantry, while roughly RM3 million belonged to him personally. Ag Mohd Tahir, 63, is on trial together with his wife, Fauziah Piut, 60, and former deputy director, Lim Lam Beng, 66, with each facing separate charges among a total of 37 for money laundering involving RM61.57 million in cash and bank savings, as well as unlawful possession of luxury items between October and November 2016. When further cross-examined by the prosecution on Thursday, Ag Mohd Tahir said he was unaware that his wife had 19 bank accounts across several banks, including Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), which collectively held a total of RM2.2 million. He also disagreed that more than 900 pieces of jewellery were found in his wife's possession in a room that was also occupied by him. To a suggestion, Ag Mohd Tahir disagreed that the cash, jewellery, luxury watches, designer handbags, and luxury cars found inside and outside his house belonged to him and his wife. Ag Mohd Tahir agreed to the prosecution's suggestion that his wife could not have afforded over 90 luxury handbags based on her last drawn salary in 2013. He said her last job was as a secretary at Ko-Nelayan Kota Kinabalu but was unsure about the prosecution's claim that her salary ranged between RM2,500 and RM3,000. In response to a question, Ag Mohd Tahir said he could not recall whether all his other sources of income had ever been declared to the Sabah Water Department's administration, as it had been too long ago. He disagreed with the prosecution's suggestion that he failed to make declarations because the seized cash and valuable items were proceeds of illegal activities, and also disagreed that he did not declare them because he could not explain the source of the income. DPP: You also did not make any declaration regarding assets owned by your spouse? Ag Mohd Tahir: I do not remember, it was a long time ago. DPP: You also could not declare the source of income for the assets owned by your wife. Ag Mohd Tahir: I disagree. DPP: If the money and items were lawfully acquired, you would have had no issue declaring them, agree? Ag Mohd Tahir: I am not sure. When referred to a document, his asset declaration dated Jan 3, 2005, Ag Mohd Tahir agreed with the prosecution's suggestion that it was the only declaration he made throughout his service up to 2016. DPP: From this declaration, you only declared one house at Grace Ville and one car, correct? Ag Mohd Tahir: Correct. DPP: From this declaration, you stated that your wife's income was only RM2,000, correct? Ag Mohd Tahir: Correct. DPP: It is clear from this document that the millions in cash, several luxury cars, a luxury home worth millions, luxury watches, and the millions in your bank accounts were never declared, based on this declaration. Correct? Ag Mohd Tahir: Based on this document, correct. DPP: And from this document, no business income was declared. Correct? Ag Mohd Tahir: Correct. Also appearing for the prosecution are DPPS Haresh Prakash Somiah and Zander Lim, alongside DPP Mahadi. Representing Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah were counsels Datuk Ansari Abdullah and Erveana Ansari, while Lim was defended by Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, Baldev Singh, Karpaljit Singh, and Kelvin Wong. Trial adjourned to July 23. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
26-06-2025
- Daily Express
Ex-Director denies role in collection scheme
Published on: Thursday, June 26, 2025 Published on: Thu, Jun 26, 2025 By: Jo Ann Mool Text Size: On trial are Ag Mohd Tahir, 63, his wife, Fauziah Piut, 60, and former deputy director, Lim Lam Beng, 66, who are jointly facing 37 charges of money laundering involving cash and bank savings totalling RM61.57 million, as well as the unlawful possession of luxury items between October and November 2016. Kota Kinabalu: Former Water Department Director Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib told the Special Corruption Court that his former deputy director Teo Chee Kong fabricated the story that he (Tahir) was the mastermind behind the so-called 'centralised collection' scheme. Continuing his examination-in-chief on Wednesday, he also denied any involvement in the scheme. 'I was accused by Teo of being the mastermind. I wish to state that I was never involved, did not initiate it, nor did the idea come from me. Whatever story he came up with is purely his own fabrication,' he told Judge Abu Bakar Manat. Ag Mohd Tahir said the scheme had existed since 1989, as stated by Teo Chee Kong in his witness testimony. On trial are Ag Mohd Tahir, 63, his wife, Fauziah Piut, 60, and former deputy director, Lim Lam Beng, 66, who are jointly facing 37 charges of money laundering involving cash and bank savings totalling RM61.57 million, as well as the unlawful possession of luxury items between October and November 2016. He also said Teo's statements in his witness testimony were untrue and that he was not involved in the collection of commission money or any form of collection or centralised collection as claimed by Teo, adding that he had never discussed the percentage mentioned, nor any breakdown of payments or the formula referred to. Reading further, Ag Mohd Tahir said he had never given any ideas related to the formula or the centralised collection, was not involved in the matters mentioned, and had never issued any such instructions. Ag Mohd Tahir also said that he was unaware of any 'pre-arrangement' concerning commission payments for water development and maintenance projects in districts across Sabah, which allegedly existed before he was appointed Director in 2003. 'What I knew was only what Teo informed me and even then he did not elaborate much. I had no knowledge of how the commissions were divided or who the other recipients were.' Ag Tahir said he also did not ask further questions as he did not wish to become involved in such matters. In response to Teo's testimony regarding the meeting with then-Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Raymond Tan, Ag Mohd Tahir said the statement was untrue, as he had not been informed of any such meeting and had no involvement with the allocation mentioned. Ag Mohd Tahir denied claims made by Teo that a 1.5 per cent allocation to the Minister, the Permanent Secretary (SUT), and staff of the Infrastructure Development Ministry was a goodwill payment meant to build rapport. Ag Mohd Tahir further said he never gave any instruction to Teo for the engineers in the Divisions and Districts to contribute 10.75 per cent to him. 'I was not involved. I also never appointed Teo as a runner, nor was I involved in the distribution according to any schedule. I have never received any share of the money or any form of contribution. 'I only received legitimate profits from my business dealings with Fauzi and Michael Wong,' he said, adding that Teo had merely used his (Tahir's) name. Ag Mohd Tahir testified he had no knowledge of the 'individual list', had never seen the document, and had never received any money from Teo. When referred to Teo's statement – 'Awang Tahir, the JANS Director, was the mastermind behind this formula and he instructed and decided on the design of the formula, with the decision made after discussions with Lim Lam Beng. Lim Lam Beng informed me that the instruction to design the centralised collection formula came from Awang Tahir' – Ag Mohd Tahir said the statement was untrue. Ag Mohd Tahir said he was afraid of Teo, who was very rich, came from a wealthy family, and had close ties with top officials, including ministers and senior officers in the Infrastructure and Finance Ministries and that he had been careful around Teoh since joining the department. Asked why he did not stop the practice of collecting commission for water develop0ment and maintenance projects across Sabah - he said it could jeopardise his safety as the practice involved gangster groups. Asked by counsel Datuk Ansari Abdullah about Teo's position in the department, Ag Mohd Tahir said although he held the position of Director, which was higher than Teo, Teo had powerful connections, and his elder brother was also a major contractor with JANS. As such, he had to play it safe around Teo. Moreover, given Teo's position as Deputy Director, he was also eyeing the Director's post. Ag Tahir Mohd added that Teo had an influential elder brother who was a contractor with strong backing, including support from ministers up to the Chief Minister. He added Teo once told him to just follow whatever suggestions were made. Teo became deputy director after Lim's retirement. Asked about his sources of income, Ag Mohd Tahir said they came from his government salary and allowances, as well as profits from his business ventures with Haris, Michael Wong and his younger brother Fauzi. He said besides his monthly government salary and allowances, which he estimated totalled over RM1.5 million since 1985, he also got involved in business, mainly in construction and civil engineering. His earliest partners were Haris, a village friend, and Michael Wong in the 1990s. His family, including his brother Fauzi, was also involved in government contracts. He used his savings to invest in businesses with Haris and Michael Wong. On Haris, he said he estimated earning around RM5 million in net profit from him, which he received in cash as he trusted Haris, a friend from the same village and that their partnership was in construction projects where he provided capital jointly with Haris. Asked how he knew it was RM5 million and whether he recorded each time Haris made a payment, he replied: 'Roughly, I did make some calculations.' He added that they no longer did business together after falling out when Haris failed to share profits from a project due to work delays. Their business partnership lasted about 10 years, said Ag Mohd Tahir, adding that they started their partnership around 1990s. Asked if he had an agreement with Haris, he replied: 'There was no written agreement, it was verbal only, and it happened a long time ago.' Regarding Michael Wong, Ag Mohd Tahir described him as a long-time business partner and close acquaintance since the 1990s. Ag Mohd Tahir said he received cash from Michael Wong as part of their business partnership, and that from the 1990s until 2015, he received approximately RM30 million as his share of profits. He added that he kept no formal records as he fully trusted Wong, who had been his long-time business partner. He further clarified that he was merely a 'sleeping partner', providing capital to Michael Wong in stages, which was then used as working capital for their business. He added that throughout their partnership, payments were made in cash because he trusted Wong. 'Throughout our business relationship, he never deceived me. So, I had no issue accepting my share of profits in cash. With his young brother, Fauzi, Ag Mohd Tahir said their business dealings began around 2006 when Fauzi became a small contractor, inspired by another younger brother, Ag Muslim, who had easy access to government departments and helped Fauzi secure projects, along with Michael Wong and Haris, due to his position as the Treasurer of UMNO Kimanis Division. He said he helped Fauzi by providing working capital. Ag Mohd Tahir said he received an estimated RM12 million in profits from Fauzi between 2006 and 2016, given to him in cash, which he roughly calculated, and trusted Fauzi as his brother, who had never betrayed him. Regarding the charges against him, when asked by the court to explain the source of the money kept at his home that was seized by the MACC, he replied: 'All the money I kept at the house mentioned in the charge was actually received from Haris, Michael Wong, and my brother Fauzi, along with part of my salary. Every time Haris, Michael Wong, or Fauzi handed me money, I would keep it at my home in Grace Ville.' When asked how he obtained the money to purchase the cars, he replied: 'All the money I used to buy the cars came from funds I received from Haris and Michael Wong, combined with money from Fauzi, which I kept at home, along with part of my salary.' Regarding the branded watches such as Rolex, Tag Heuer, Patek Philippe and others found at his home and seized by the MACC,Ag Mohd Tahir said they were purchased by his wife, with some bought by himself. He said they used money he received from Haris, Michael Wong, and Fauzi — which he kept at home — as well as part of his salary to buy those items. He added that all the jewellery, accessories, and ornaments at his home were purchased by his wife using money he received from Haris, Michael Wong, and Fauzi, which he kept at home, as well as part of his salary. In response to a question about the money found in the pantry of his office at Wisma Muis, Ag Mohd Tahir said most of the money did not belong to him and had already been there when he took office, while part of it was his, which he received from business partnerships with Michael Wong, Fauzi, and Haris. He said that most of the money found in the pantry was not his, as it had already been there when he started occupying the office. However, over time, he did keep some of his own money there, as his younger brother would occasionally come to ask for political donations. His brother was the treasurer of the Umno Kimanis Parliamentary Division. He estimated that about RM20 million was already in the pantry, while roughly RM3 million belonged to him personally. Earlier, he said to the best of his recollection, he had never kept money in the cupboard or cabinet, and the pantry lock was already in place when he started working there, with the other keys held by his PA. Deputy Public Prosecutors Mahadi Abdul Jumaat, Haresh Prakash Somiah, and Zander Lim appeared for the prosecution. Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah were represented by counsel Datuk Ansari Abdullah and Erveana Ansari, while Lim was represented by Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, Baldev Singh, Karpaljit Singh and Kelvin Wong. Trial continues. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
25-06-2025
- New Straits Times
Ex-Sabah Water director tells court he never forced contractors to make 'contributions'
KOTA KINABALU: A former Sabah Water director denied involvement in forcing contractors to make monetary contributions to the department upon receiving contracts. Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib said the witness statement by his former deputy Teo Chee Kong that he had consented to the "centralised collection system", a commission paid to department top posts and the then Sabah works minister, were baseless. "I was not involved in the centralised collection system mentioned, and in fact, it existed as early as 1989, as stated by Teo Chee Kong in his witness testimony. "I knew nothing about the matter. What I knew was only what Teo had informed me, and even then, he did not elaborate much. "I had no knowledge of how the commissions were divided or who the other recipients were," said the 63-year-old in his 155-page written witness statement. Ag Tahir, who became the director in 2003, was testifying before Sessions Court judge Abu Bakar Manat in the continuation of his defence trial today. Also on trial are his wife, Fauziah Piut, 60, and former deputy director, Lim Lam Beng, 66. Teo became deputy director after Lim's retirement. The trio are jointly facing 37 charges of money laundering involving cash and bank savings totalling RM61.57 million, as well as the unlawful possession of luxury items between October and November 2016. Despite not knowing much of the details, Ag Tahir said that he was unable to put an end to the practice as it would have endangered his safety, claiming that it involved gangster groups. He also said despite being a deputy director, Teo had stronger connections, including ministers, and even up to the level of the chief minister's office. Ag Tahir further denied claims made by Teo that a 1.5 per cent allocation to the minister, the permanent secretary, and staff of the Infrastructure Development Ministry was a goodwill payment meant to build rapport. Meanwhile, responding to the witness statement of Michael Wong, the prosecution's 35th witness, Ag Tahir denied receiving any commission from Teo. Although he was aware that Wong owned multiple companies, he stated he did not know which specific company was involved in projects under the Water Department. He also denied there was any commission that led to him awarding direct contracts to Wong, as most contracts were issued by the divisions or districts. Ag Tahir also said he received profits namely RM5 million and RM12 million from his other two business partners, including his brother. He added that luxurious vehicles and items allegedly found with him were bought using the profit money and his salary. Deputy public prosecutors Mahadi Abdul Jumaat, Haresh Prakash Somiah, and Zander Lim appeared for the prosecution. Ag Tahir and Fauziah were represented by Datuk Ansari Abdullah and Erveana Ansari, while Lim was defended by Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, Baldev Singh, Karpaljit Singh, and Kelvin Wong.
Daily Express
02-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
‘I didn't give such instructions'
Published on: Thursday, May 01, 2025 Published on: Thu, May 01, 2025 By: Jo Ann Mool Text Size: Ag Mohd Tahir at the court on April 30. Kota Kinabalu: Former State Water Department Director Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib on Wednesday denied giving instructions or granting approval to collect contributions amounting to about 27.5 per cent of the cost of projects carried out in each division. In his defence before Special Corruption Court Judge Abu Bakar, Ag Mohd Tahir testified, during examination-in-chief by his counsel, Datuk Ansari Abdullah, that he had never issued nor approved anything, as stated in the prosecution's witness statement referred to him. Ag Mohd Tahir was asked of his response regarding a paragraph in the witness statement of prosecution's 36th witness former Beaufort divisional water engineer Suhaimi Asbullah, who had stated in his witness statement that the informal meeting held on April 7, 2005, Teo Chee Kong (who was the Kota Kinabalu divisional water engineer) informed Division and District Water Engineers that, following a directive approved by State Water Department (JANS) Director Ag Tahir Mohd Talib and discussed with Deputy Director Lim Lam Beng, each division to collect and remit a 27.5 per cent contribution from project costs, covered by inflated contractor rates, to their respective departments. Ag Mohd also testified that he had no knowledge of the existence of the informal meeting mentioned in Suhaimi's witness statement. To a question, on his response to another statement by Suhaimi in his witness statement, Ag Mohd Tahir said that it was Teo's own statement, and that he had no knowledge of it. Ag Mohd Tahir was referred to Suhaimi's statement that out of the 27.5 per cent collected, 10.75 per cent was to be handed over by the District Engineers to Teo, who said it would be distributed to selected officers at JANS Headquarters, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (KPI) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF); Teo circulated photocopies of the 10.75 per cent formula only to the District Engineers without any official minutes, and warned that failure to comply could result in funding delays or denial of warrants for quotation and emergency works. When asked to respond to a statement in Suhaimi's witness statement alleging that there had been a 'mark-up', Ag Mohd Tahir said he was not aware of any such practice. Ag Mohd Tahir was referred to Suhaimi's witness statement, which alleged that, among other things, quotations and claims for pipe replacement and installation works involving various sizes and types in previous years had included a 30 per cent mark-up. Ag Mohd Tahir, 63, his wife, Fauziah Piut, 59, and former State Water Department deputy director Lim Lam Beng, 70, face multiple money laundering charges. Ag Mohd Tahir and his wife Fauziah Piut, as the first and second accused, are facing 33 counts of money laundering charges, involving cash and bank savings amounting to RM61.57 million, as well as unlawful possession of luxury goods. Ag Mohd Tahir faces 11 charges under Section 4 (1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUA) 2001 and one charge under Section 4(1)(a) of the same Act. Fauziah faces 19 charges under Section 4 (1)(b) of the same Act. Both Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah have another two joint charges under Section 4 (1)(b) of the same Act. The offences against Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah were allegedly committed at separate locations among others, at an office in Kota Kinabalu, a house in Sembulan, at several bank branches, between Oct 4 and Nov 4, 2016. Lim faces four counts of having a Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle, cash of RM200,000, RM1,900,000 and RM280,000 from proceeds of unlawful activities as framed under Section 4 (1)(b) of the same Act. The offences allegedly committed on Oct 13, Oct 22, Nov 7 and Nov 8, 2016 here. Testifying further, when asked to comment on a page of Suhaimi's witness statement regarding, among others, that beginning 2005 their team at JANS Beaufort had begun collecting a 27.5 per cent commission from contractors carrying out quotation-based works in the Beaufort Division, Ag Mohd Tahir said the implementation of all works was carried out at the divisional level, and that he claimed to have no knowledge of the 27.5 per cent commission. In response to a question, Ag Mohd Tahir testified that he had never instructed anyone, including his family members, to approach divisional or district engineers to prepare any application letters. He said this when asked to comment on Suhaimi's witness statement, which alleged, among other things, that several agents, comprising his family members and friends, had claimed they had his permission to deal with the Water Department in Beaufort, including in Membakut and surrounding areas. When asked about Suhaimi's allegations —particularly claims of threats that divisional engineers would be transferred, and Suhaimi's fear that he might be harmed by Ag Mohd Tahir and his group — Ag Mohd Tahir responded: 'That may be his personal opinion. I have never threatened anyone.' Ag Mohd Tahir testified that no water engineers, including Suhaimi, from the division or district had ever reported to him that they were threatened by contractors during his tenure as Director of JANS. When asked who served as his deputy from the end of 2003 until 2016 during his tenure as Director of JANS, Ag Mohd Tahir testified that it began with Lim as deputy director, and upon his retirement, the position was taken over by Teo. In response to another question about whether the Director had the authority to appoint contractors at the division or district level, Ag Mohd Tahir stated that the responsibility for appointing contractors lay with the divisional and district engineers, who had been authorised to appoint JANS contractors. He added that the entire process, from tendering to contractor appointment, was under the jurisdiction of the divisional and district water engineers, who also established specific committees to offer work and appoint contractors. Together with Ansari Abdullah is counsel Erveana Ansari in representing Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah while counsel Datuk Tan Hock Chuan and Baldev Singh represented Lim. Deputy Public Prosecutors Mahadi Abdul Jumaat and Haresh Prakash Somiah appeared for the prosecution. The trial will continue on June 25. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
30-04-2025
- New Straits Times
Ex-Sabah Water director denies approving contractor contribution scheme
KOTA KINABALU: A former Sabah Water Department director has denied agreeing to the collection of contributions. Testifying in his defence before Sessions Court judge Abu Bakar Manat, Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib said he was completely unaware of any decisions made during the unofficial meeting where he was purportedly to approve a contribution amounting to 27.5 per cent of project costs from contractors. He said that all statements regarding the meeting had come from Teo Chee Kong, who was his deputy at the time. Ag Mohd Tahir made this statement in response to a question from his counsel, Datuk Ansari Abdullah, relating to the testimony of the 36th prosecution witness, Suhaimi Asbullah. On trial alongside Ag Mohd Tahir, 63, are his wife, Fauziah Piut, 57, and former deputy director, Lim Lam Beng, 66. The trio are jointly facing 37 charges of money laundering involving cash and bank savings totalling RM61.57 million, as well as the unlawful possession of luxury items between October and November 2016. During the prosecution stage, the 36th witness testified, that on April 7, 2005, he confirmed Ag Mohd Tahir's attendance at a meeting with divisional and district engineers at the department's headquarters. Recounting Suhaimi's testimony, the witness said that following the meeting with Ag Mohd Tahir, he attended an unofficial session which, he claimed, was only attended by Teo and engineers from various divisions and districts. The witness further testified that, during this unofficial meeting, Teo had allegedly informed the engineers that Ag Mohd Tahir had approved the 27.5 per cent contribution collection from project costs to be implemented in the respective divisions or districts. When asked about his working relationship with the 36th prosecution witness, Ag Mohd Tahir described it as normal, typical of a department head and his staff. Deputy public prosecutors Mahadi Abdul Jumaat and Haresh Prakash Somiah appeared for the prosecution. Fauziah was represented by Ansari and Erveana Ansari, while Lim was defended by Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, Baldev Singh, Karpaljit Singh, and Kelvin Wong. The trial will resume on June 25.
