KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court in Kuala Lumpur heard on Tuesday (Aug 22) that Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the former deputy prime minister, did not want his name associated with his donations to the Sekolah Menengah Imtiaz Ulul Albab in Melaka. Azharizan Yaacob, the former principal of the school, stated that Ahmad Zahid believed in the principle of ‘the left hand should not know what the right hand is giving’. He clarified that Ahmad Zahid funded the school’s operational costs because of his passion for charity, particularly in religious and educational institutions.
Azharizan made these statements while testifying at Ahmad Zahid’s defence trial. The former deputy prime minister faces multiple charges including breach of trust, corruption, and money laundering involving millions of ringgit in Yayasan Akalbudi (YAB) funds. Azharizan confirmed that Ahmad Zahid fully financed the construction and operations of the private school.
Azharizan added, “Throughout the school’s operations from 2012, Datuk Seri (Ahmad) Zahid allocated almost RM30 million to assist the school’s operations, and this does not include contributions for the cost of construction.” He further noted that Ahmad Zahid would issue monthly cheques ranging from approximately RM170,000 to RM200,000 to the school. Although the school commenced operations in 2012, its premises were not fully completed until 2014.
Azharizan explained that the monthly contributions were utilized for bill payments, teachers’ salaries, student meals, and other operating expenses. These contributions were instrumental in enabling the school’s continued functioning. The original contractor for the school’s construction was later replaced by Teknik Sempurna Sdn Bhd, completing the construction in 2014.
In 2020, the state government took over the management of the school due to the freezing of YAB’s account in relation to Ahmad Zahid’s court charges. As a result, the monthly contributions from Ahmad Zahid ceased, leading to financial difficulties for the school, which had approximately 350 students. To cope with the loss of financial resources, the school raised its annual fees from RM500 to RM700.
Azharizan explained, “Because Yayasan Akalbudi’s account was frozen, we lost our financial source to support operations and came up with various ways, including raising annual fees, reducing teachers’ salaries, shutting down the air conditioning, and replacing it with fans.” The school even accumulated debt to cover monthly costs of RM350,000.
The former principal also highlighted other charitable contributions made by Ahmad Zahid, such as sponsoring students for A-Level courses, sponsoring teachers for master’s degrees, and donating RM12 million for the construction of the Masjid Selat floating mosque in Melaka.
The trial will resume on Thursday, Aug 24, before Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
