By Audrey Dermawan | New Straits Times
Penang Regional Development Authority (Perda) chairman Datuk Dr Shaik Hussein Mydin was charged at the Sessions Court here this morning with 15 corruption offences involving bribes totalling RM847,107.61 linked to a hostel construction project.
Shaik, 53, claimed trial to all 15 charges before judge Irwan Suainbon.
According to the charge sheets, Shaik is accused of corruptly receiving cash bribes totalling RM847,107.61 through Aliran Ilham Sdn Bhd (AISB).
The bribes were allegedly paid by ATSH Management Sdn Bhd (ATSH) director Dauk R. Albert Suresh in exchange for appointing ATSH as a subcontractor to AISB for a RM23,268,215.35 project.
The project was titled “Cadangan Menyiapkan Kerja-Kerja Terbengkalai Untuk 1 Blok Asrama 10 Tingkat dan Kemudahan-Kemudahan di Institut Kemahiran Tinggi Perda (PERDA-TECH) Menggunakan Sistem Binaan Industri (IBS) di atas sebahagian Lot 1210 Mukim 8 Bukit Panchor, Seberang Prai Selatan, Pulau Pinang”.
All the alleged offences took place at Bank Islam Bandar Baru Perda in Bandar Perda between June 2025 and July 2026.
The 15 charges were as follows:
First charge: Corruptly receiving RM7,900 from Albert on June 26, 2025.
Second charge: Corruptly receiving RM6,500 from Albert on July 14, 2025.
Third charge: Corruptly receiving RM15,985 from Albert on July 30, 2025.
Fourth charge: Corruptly receiving RM30,782.61 from Albert on Sept 12, 2025.
Fifth charge: Corruptly receiving RM36,350 from Albert on Oct 1, 2025.
Sixth charge: Corruptly receiving RM19,050 from Albert on Nov 13, 2025.
Seventh charge: Corruptly receiving RM299.04 from Albert on Dec 9, 2025.
Eighth charge: Corruptly receiving RM35,400.96 from Albert on Jan 7, 2026.
Ninth charge: Corruptly receiving RM45.51 from Albert on Jan 8, 2026.
10th charge: Corruptly receiving RM61,874.49 from Albert on Jan 27, 2026.
11th charge: Corruptly receiving RM244,620 from Albert on March 10, 2026.
12th charge: Corruptly receiving RM71,910 from Albert on April 2, 2026.
13th charge: Corruptly receiving RM97,980 from Albert on May 12, 2026.
14th charge: Corruptly receiving RM65,880 from Albert on June 5, 2026.
15th charge: Corruptly receiving RM152,530 from Albert Suresh on July 9, 2026.
All the charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act.
If convicted, Shaik faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of at least five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, for each charge.
Wearing a box-print shirt and dark-coloured slacks, Shaik appeared composed throughout the hour-long proceedings.
After each charge was read to him, he responded, “Minta Bicara” (claim trial).
Earlier, he arrived at the court complex accompanied by his legal team, led by Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad.
The other lawyers were Datuk Hasnal Rezua Merican, Mohd Shahrullah Khan Nawab Zadah Khan, Dr Shamsher Singh Thind, Muzzammil Merican, Simon Tan and Intan Nur Alia Nodzri.
MACC deputy public prosecutors Lim Jin Hong and Nurnajihatul Idayu Mohd Azuyar prosecuted, while lawyer Norhardi Harun held a watching brief for Perda.
Lim proposed bail of RM1 million, with conditions that Shaik surrender his passport to the court, report to the MACC office on the first day of every month and refrain from interfering with prosecution witnesses.
“The proposed bail is not solely to determine the need for the accused’s attendance in court, but should also take into account the gravity of the offence and other relevant factors,” he told the court.
Lim also argued that requiring Shaik to surrender his passport was a reasonable additional condition to minimise the risk of him absconding.
Amer opposed the proposed bail amount, saying it was excessive and lacked a clear factual basis.
He said bail should not be punitive but should primarily ensure the accused’s attendance in court.
“Our client had cooperated with MACC during investigations, complied with notices issued by the authorities and appeared in court voluntarily to answer all 15 charges.
“There was no evidence to establish that our client posed a flight risk. The prosecution should not rely solely on the seriousness of the charges to justify the surrender of his passport,” he said.
Amer proposed bail of RM200,000 without the passport condition, while agreeing to a reporting requirement at the MACC office. However, he sought a less frequent reporting schedule, citing his client’s commitments.
The defence also cited previous court decisions involving other high-profile accused persons, arguing that the number of charges and the total amount allegedly involved should not, by themselves, determine the bail amount.
Amer also said his client was a politician with an established standing in the community and served on the board of governors of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
“My client is required to attend several meetings and conferences overseas in his capacity. As such, surrendering his passport could create unnecessary logistical difficulties should he need to travel abroad,” he added.
In response, Lim submitted that Shaik’s past cooperation with investigators did not necessarily mean he would not pose a flight risk after being charged.
He also argued that the passport could be returned temporarily if Shaik had legitimate reasons to travel overseas, subject to an application to the court.
After considering submissions from both parties and the legal authorities cited, Irwan set bail at RM300,000 with one surety and imposed additional conditions.
“The accused is required to report to the MACC office once every two months.
“He is also required to surrender his passport to the court. He can apply for its return if he needs it for travel, subject to the court’s discretion,” Irwan said.
He fixed Jan 8 next year for the submission of documents.
In August, Shaik was detained to assist in an investigation into alleged abuse of power involving the approval of eight land plots in Seberang Prai Selatan that were sold below market value in 2015 to a company linked to an associate. The transactions allegedly resulted in an estimated RM1.96 million loss to the state.
He was arrested alongside four others, including his brother, sister-in-law and two company directors, during MACC operations in August.
Shaik posted bail.
