KUALA LUMPUR: A former director of SRC International Sdn Bhd Datuk Suboh Md Yassin told the High Court here today that he signed four blank cheques but did not know they were for UMNO and UMNO Selangor.
Datuk Suboh Md Yassin, 74, said he signed the blank cheques after SRC’s former chief executive officer (CEO) Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil informed him that it was the instructions from ‘pihak atas’, namely DSN (Datuk Seri Najib).
“When I signed those cheques, there was no recipient and the value of the cheque was not filled in. I did not know they were supposed to be the defendants (UMNO and UMNO Selangor).
“The cheques presented to me for signing were blank and pre-signed by Nik Faisal himself. After I signed the cheque, Nik Faisal took them and I never saw him again,“ said Suboh when reading his witness statement at the hearing of SRC and its two subsidiaries, Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd and Jendela Pinggiran Sdn Bhd’s suit against UMNO and UMNO Selangor in May 2021.
When counsel Razlan Hadri Zulkifli, representing SRC referred to him the documents pertaining to the four cheques, Suboh, as the second SRC witness confirmed the cheques were issued by Jendela Pinggiran to UMNO amounting to a total sum of RM16 million and to UMNO Selangor for RM 3.5 million.
Questioned by Razlan Hadri, who signed these cheques, the witness replied: Nik Faisal and I.
Suboh further said he trusted Nik Faisal because he was the CEO and he represented himself to be very close to Najib, hence, he had no reason to doubt Nik Faisal.
“In fact, the entire board of directors accepted whatever and whenever Nik Faisal informed us those certain instructions came from Datuk Seri Najib.
“In those situations, we acted on what was directed. This happened throughout my tenure in SRC, Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd and Jendela Pinggiran Sdn Bhd,“ he said.
Suboh was also a director for Gandingan Mentari and Jendela Pinggiran at the material time.
Suboh further said that any communication or instructions from Najib to the board would be conveyed through Nik Faisal, and Nik Faisal would only approach him if he required him to sign any documents.
“My queries would regularly be brushed aside with a statement suggesting that underlying transaction must be done at the behest of DSN – for example “boss nak lah” or “diminta pihak atas”.
“Most of the time, the document to be signed by me would already have been signed by Nik Faisal. I was required merely to countersign pursuant to his request,“ he said.
In the lawsuit against UMNO, the plaintiffs are seeking RM16 million, which they claim was wrongfully transferred to the political party, asserting that UMNO had no basis to receive the funds.
The second lawsuit involves a claim for RM3.5 million against Badan Perhubungan UMNO Selangor (Selangor UMNO), which is also alleged to have received the funds.
The hearing continues tomorrow before Judge Datuk Raja Ahmad Mohzanuddin Shah Raja Mohzan.
