Hamzah sends letter of demand over link to RM15 million corruption case

PETALING JAYA - Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has submitted legal demands to three parties following allegations linking him to an RM15 million corruption case involving a businessman known as Sim Choo Thiam.

According to the opposition leader, who revealed that the demands were sent through the Attorney General's Department to the Malaysian Government, Tan Sri Azam Baki, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Hamzah stated that these demands urge all three parties to cease their actions against him immediately.

"My lawyer has already sent this letter, and I've been informed that it has been received. We have also conveyed that certain government officials have committed an act, which I refer to as an abuse of power.

"...and have also engaged in 'misfeasance in public office' and colluded to portray me as someone who committed an offence," he stated during a press conference at the Perikatan Nasional (PN) headquarters here on Friday.

Further elaborating, the PN secretary-general explained that the decision to file these demands was made to halt the alleged injustice carried out by the current government.

He further criticised the practise of "intimidating" the citizens and businessmen through the misuse of power by public servants, highlighting the potential detrimental impact on investor confidence in Malaysia.

Moreover, Hamzah alleged a conspiracy is brewing involving certain parties exploiting the MACC.

"Public officials are responsible for upholding the constitutional rights of the citizens and should not violate these rights.

"If you continue to disregard your constitutional duties and responsibilities," Hamzah declared as he read out the legal demands, On May 10, businessman Choo Thiam pleaded not guilty and requested a trial against four charges brought against him.

For the first charge, he was accused of soliciting a bribe of RM15 million from the Managing Director of Asia Coding Centre Sdn Bhd, Hep Kim Hong, through Syed Abu Zafran Syed Ahmad in June 2021.

This was allegedly to incentivize a government officer, Hamzah, who was also the Home Minister at the time, to assist the said company in securing agency projects under the Ministry of Home Affairs in June 2021.

He was also charged with three more counts of receiving a bribe of RM15 million in cash from the same individual as an inducement for Hamzah to perform similar actions. - Awani