KUALA LUMPUR: The former chairman of SRC International was today given a lesson on the difference between a prime minister and the government.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s lawyer did this to drive home a point that whatever decisions made by the government had to go through the system and the prime minister could not act alone.
“It’s not a one man show where all decisions are made by him.
“It’s an entire system where there is a mechanism on how things are done,” Harvinderjit Singh said during the cross-examination of Tan Sri Ismee Ismail.
He said this after Ismee consistently said that the board only acted on whatever was related to them by the company’s CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, who claimed to be conveying instructions from the prime minister.
He has all the while said that the board acted on this as the prime minister was the ultimate shareholder of the company, with Najib also holding the post of adviser emeritus to SRC International.
Ismee had testified that as far as the SRC International’s board of directors were concerned, when the word government was mentioned by Nik Faisal, it referred to the prime minister.
However, Harvinderjit said while the visions and aspirations were those of the prime minister, the government was not a one man show.
“Those macro government decisions shouldn’t have been interpreted as one man’s decision.
“It was a thought out governmental decision backed by the entire machinery,” he said, to which Ismee agreed.
Harvinderjit also put Ismee through a point which was listed in his witness statement concerning Najib’s power to hire and fire the board of directors for SRC International.
He asked Ismee why the point had been highlighted and if the latter was implying that he was scared of being fired.
Ismee just replied that these were just his own words.
Najib, 66, is facing seven charges of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering involving RM42 million of SRC International funds.
He faces 20 years’ jail and fine for the offences.
The Pekan member of parliament was charged with committing the offences between Aug 17, 2011, and Feb 10. 2015.
The hearing continues.