KUALA LUMPUR – Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was today granted temporary access to his passport to attend the February 15 opening of a restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand.
He will have to return his passport to the court on February 23.
Sessions court judge Azura Alwi said Muhyiddin was not deemed a flight risk and had posted bail to ensure his attendance in court.
Muhyiddin, who is still facing money-laundering charges, had applied for a temporary release of his passport on January 31.
The sessions court today allowed the Perikatan Nasional chairman the document for the trip on February 15, New Straits Times reports.
Muhyiddin, who is still facing money-laundering charges, had applied for a temporary release of his passport on January 31.
In his application, he supported his request by stating that he would meet businessmen in Bangkok for the benefit of bilateral ties between Malaysia and Thailand.
Deputy public prosecutor Zander Lim had filed an affidavit to oppose the application on the grounds these reasons cited by Muhyiddin were “unreasonable” and did not show a pressing need to allow a temporary release of his passport.
Lim had also said there were court proceedings scheduled on February 15 that Muhyiddin was required to attend.
“(Muhyiddin) is well aware (of the date for the court proceedings), and yet he still booked flight tickets for travel on the same date,” the deputy public prosecutor said in his affidavit.
This is the second time the sessions court has granted Muhyiddin a temporary return of his passport.
On November 29 last year, he was allowed the document until January 15 to travel to Singapore for medical check-ups and for a family holiday in London.
However, the court had rejected his application for a permanent return of his passport.
Muhyiddin still faces three charges related to money laundering amounting to RM200 million, connected to the Jana Wibawa project. Last October, he filed an application to strike out the charges, and for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.
He was however discharged and acquitted by Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin from abuse of power charges on August 15 last year, on account that the charges were defective. – February 8, 2024