Bersatu fails in bid to lift freeze on bank accounts

KUALA LUMPUR: Bersatu has failed to lift a freeze on its two bank accounts after the High Court held that the party failed to establish that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had abused its powers.

Justice Aliza Sulaiman said Bersatu also failed to show that MACC’s actions were illegal, procedurally improper, irrational, done in bad faith, or constituted misfeasance in public office.

She also held that MACC was not wrong in requesting that the immigration department impose a travel ban on party president Muhyiddin Yassin during the course of its investigations three years ago.

“While it is true that the freezing orders in this case do not contain any directive that Muhyiddin shall not leave or be permitted to leave the country, the evidence shows that MACC had returned to the immigration department to request that a travel ban be imposed on him.

“I accept that the MACC is allowed to do so for the purpose of ensuring that the criminal investigation process can be carried out unimpeded,” she said.

Muhyiddin is standing trial on four charges of abuse of power and two counts of money laundering involving RM232.5 million and RM195 million.

On May 29, 2023, Bersatu executive secretary Suhaimi Yahya filed a judicial review application challenging the freezing of the party’s two accounts.

Bersatu claimed that its CIMB and AmBank accounts were frozen in April 2023 without any seizure order being issued under Section 50(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Amla).

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