（Singapore, 09.09.2025）A highway project that was once touted as a vital link to ease traffic to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) but has stalled since 2019 is now in deeper turmoil after a prominent director of its developer was charged with corruption and money laundering.
Tan Sri Abu Sahid Mohamed, a director of Maju Holdings, once a key figure in Malaysia’s highway concessions, appeared in the Sessions Court on September 8, 2025, to face a total of 17 charges. The charges are directly linked to the unfinished construction of the MEX II highway, a 16.8-kilometer extension that would connect the administrative capital of Putrajaya to KLIA. The legal proceedings have cast a long shadow over the already troubled project, raising new questions about its future.
The 74-year-old, who came to the Sessions Court in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank, pleaded not guilty to all charges. Dressed in all white, he was quoted by local media as replying to the court each time a charge was read: “I understand… Not guilty.”
Criminal Breach of Trust and Money Laundering Charges
Abu Sahid faces four counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT), involving RM313.1 million (approximately S$95.4 million), and 13 counts of money laundering amounting to RM139.2 million (approximately S$42.4 million). The offences allegedly occurred between 2016 and 2019, while he was a director of the company.
According to the charge sheets, the CBT charges allege that Abu Sahid, in his capacity as a director, fraudulently misused the sum of RM313,124,617.02 that belonged to Maju Holdings. This was said to have occurred at a bank in Bukit Tunku between May 3, 2016, and October 21, 2019. The charges fall under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which carries a potential prison sentence of not less than two years and not exceeding 20 years, along with whipping and a fine upon conviction.
The money laundering charges are equally severe. For the first to tenth charges, Abu Sahid is accused of transferring RM116,449,536.12, which is money believed to be from illegal proceeds from his bank account to the accounts of five individuals and four construction companies. For the eleventh to thirteenth charges, he is accused of disposing of another RM22,802,612.86 from illegal proceeds by cashing out multiple cheques from his bank account. All these offenses allegedly took place between May 4, 2016, and October 29, 2019.
The money laundering charges fall under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLA) 2001. If found guilty, he could face a maximum 15-year jail term and a fine of not less than five times the amount of proceeds from illegal activities or RM5 million, whichever is higher.
Wife Also Charged in Separate Case
In a separate but related court appearance on the same day, Abu Sahid’s wife, Puan Sri Noor Azrina Mohd Azmi, 48, was also charged with money laundering. She pleaded not guilty to a charge of receiving RM67.1 million in her bank account, which is alleged to be proceeds from unlawful activities transferred from her husband’s account. The offence was said to have taken place at a bank in Bukit Tunku between March 6 and November 27, 2017.
Noor Azrina was charged under the same AMLA Act as her husband. If found guilty, she could face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of at least five times the amount laundered or RM5 million, whichever is higher.
During the proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib informed the court that while the charges were non-bailable, he proposed bail of RM500,000 in one surety should the court exercise its discretion.
Her lawyer, Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, did not object to the proposed terms. Judge Rosli Ahmad granted the bail and ordered Noor Azrina to hand over her passport. Both Abu Sahid and his wife are represented by the same lawyer.
The Stalled MEX II Highway Project
The legal drama unfolds against the backdrop of the long-delayed MEX II highway. Planned as an extension of the existing 26-kilometer, three-lane dual carriageway MEX, the project was expected to shorten the driving time from Putrajaya to KLIA, a journey that currently takes around 30 minutes with smooth traffic.
Construction on the extension began in 2016 and was due for completion in December 2019. To fund the project, MEX II had raised RM1.3 billion by issuing syariah-compliant bonds, known as sukuk, in 2016. However, the project has been left in limbo for nearly six years, frustrating commuters and local officials alike.
In a parliamentary sitting in late July, Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi stated that the federal government was finalizing its discussions with the receivers and managers of MEX II so that the project could continue. Reports from local media in May 2025 suggested the project was already 89 per cent complete on paper, though this figure remained unconfirmed.
The charges against Abu Sahid and his wife add a new layer of complexity to the future of the unfinished highway. As the legal cases move forward, many will be watching not only to see the outcome of the charges but also to understand what it means for the completion of the much-needed infrastructure project. The intersection of high-profile legal battles and major public works highlights the significant challenges facing Malaysia’s infrastructure development.
