Former Perlis MB Azlan Man faces Jan 20, 2027 decision in RM1.18m false claims trial

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — The Sessions Court will rule on January 20 whether former Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man faces ten charges of alleged false claims and receiving proceeds from illegal activities. Judge Azura Alwi set the date after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defense. The court also scheduled trial dates for February 10-12, March 26, and April 16-30, 2027, should Azlan choose to enter his defense.

The Deputy Public Prosecutor Noralis Mat claimed that Azlan made five claims for overseas travel between 2013 and 2017, which the investigation disproved, as the trips never occurred on the listed dates. SP18, Herwardy Hashim, testified that Azlan instructed him to give his bank account details to Shafiei Ismail, SKTT’s managing director, to deposit money received by SKTT.

SP17, Muhd Aswad Abdul Razak, testified that claims for overseas trips couldn't be converted into cash and that the funds were meant for travel expenses, which had already been confirmed by the Menteri Besar's Office. Azmi Abdul Latif, a Perlis Treasury representative, said Azlan couldn't receive reimbursement for cancelled trips he allegedly made.

Noralis argued that Azlan's habit of transferring money to his personal account each year was not an innocent mistake, as the money should have been returned to the Perlis government if the trip was cancelled.

Defense counsel Burhanudeen Abdul Wahid maintained that the Perlis government allocated annual funds to the Menteri Besar for overseas travel, and the travel agency was needed to book the trips. He argued that the entire claims process was transparent. The defense also presented passport and immigration records to support their position.

Azlan, 67, is accused of five charges of submitting false claims involving overseas holiday travel facilities totaling more than RM1.18 million, allegedly committed between December 2013 and December 2017. He also faces five charges of receiving proceeds from illegal activities, totaling RM1.06 million, and five alternative charges of misappropriating RM1.06 million belonging to the Perlis government.