KUALA LUMPUR: “I prayed in front of the Kaabah, crying ... and after I returned from Makkah, I got a calling to quit as a minister,” former finance minister II Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah (pix) told the High Court yesterday.
Ahmad Husni, who was Finance Minister from 2009 to June 27, 2016, said he had thought about resigning a year prior to that, but wanted to set right the “1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) rationalisation plan” first to settle the 1MDB debt.
The 56th prosecution witness said then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had asked him to implement the 1MDB plan.
“I was on transit in Istanbul, that was when I came up with the rationalisation plan, on my handphone. Then I called (former 1MDB chief executive officer) Arul Kanda to tell him that the plan was completed and after that, I called Najib, who then asked me to go to his house in Jalan Duta to give the plan,” he added.
He said on arrival at the house, Najib hugged him and said he carried out the plan well.
Ahmad Husni said the plan was his, but the one who implemented it was Arul Kanda, did not exactly follow plan.
“The plan included selling a certain amount of 1MDB assets, but still retaining the stakes. The assets included Bandar Malaysia, Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) mega development project and Edra Power Holding Sdn Bhd,” he said during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Izzat Fauzan on the 50th day of the former premier’s trial involving misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC funds.
Earlier, Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah’s objected to Ahmad Husni’s testimony as most of it touched on 1MDB which he said was not relevant to the case being tried.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram then advised Ahmad Husni to answer briefly on his resignation as finance minister.
Najib, 66, is facing three counts of criminal breach of trust, one count of abusing his position and three counts of money laundering involving SRC International funds amounting to RM42 million.
The hearing before judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali continues today. — Bernama
