‘Nobody asked’: In Muhyiddin’s trial, Chinese businessman says didn’t hide his 30pc share in ‘Bumiputera’ company

Malaysian businessman Lian Tan Chuan testified that he did not intentionally conceal his 30% stake in the Bumiputera contractor Nepturis Sdn Bhd, stating that "nobody" had ever asked him about it. Nepturis claimed to be a 100% Bumiputera company and secured a RM141 million project under the Muhyiddin administration's Jana Wibawa programme, which exclusively supported Bumiputera contractors.

In reality, Lian held 30% of the company's shares based on his verbal agreement with two Bumiputera employees who owned the remaining 70%. Lian testified that Nepturis had given RM1 million to Bersatu in February 2022 as a "reward" for Muhyiddin's assistance in securing the project. He also admitted that he created multiple companies, including Nepturis, to apply for government projects specifically allocated for Bumiputera companies, including the RM141 million project.