Ex-NGO Chairman Faces Third Set of Misuse of Donation Charges in Ipoh

IPOH, Jan 14: A former chairman of a welfare non-governmental organization (NGO) is facing 10 new charges for allegedly misusing approximately RM630,000 in funds meant for humanitarian missions abroad.

Mohd Hakim Mohd Nor, 39, former chairman of Pertubuhan Kebajikan Serantau Muslim, pleaded not guilty after the charges under Section 403 of the Penal Code were read to him before Sessions Judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi in Ipoh on Wednesday.

The offenses were said to have been committed at banks in Ipoh, Batu Gajah, and Seri Iskandar between January 2018 and December 2021. The funds were intended for humanitarian missions in Myanmar, Yemen, Syria, and Palestine.

Defense counsel Azizzul Shariman Mat Yusoff requested that the cases be transferred to the Melaka Sessions Court to be heard together with other ongoing matters. He also requested that the bail previously granted in Melaka be applied here. Judge Meor Sulaiman allowed both requests.

Hakim had previously faced similar charges in Kuala Lumpur and Melaka on Monday and Tuesday (Jan 12 and 13). In Melaka, he was granted bail of RM35,000 with one surety, and the next mention date was set for March 13.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had last year identified the Melaka NGO chairman as the primary suspect in an alleged embezzlement case involving RM26 million in public donations, prompting investigations across multiple states.

The latest charges in Ipoh mark the third set of legal actions against Hakim in connection with the alleged misuse of public donation funds intended for humanitarian aid.