Her son Abdulazeez Wan Ruslan also pleaded not guilty before judge Azura Alwi to four counts of receiving RM160,000 in bribes.

Zahrah was allowed bail at RM300,000, while her son at RM70,000.

They have been ordered to surrender their passports to the court and report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on the first week of the month until the conclusion of their trial.

Zahrah, a chartered accountant, retired from CCM last week after helming the body for four years. She is facing 28 charges of receiving money from individuals and companies to conduct the Online Networking Entrepreneurs event and other programmes approved by CCM.

One of the charges is abusing her position to allow Abdulazeez to conduct the programmes.

Zahrah was calm and composed when the charges were read in court today.

She could be jailed up to 20 years and fined a maximum five times the gratification amount for each of the 31 charges if found guilty.

She also faces two years’ jail, a fine or both for two counts of receiving valuable items worth RM75,000 under Section 165 of the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, Abdulazeez, 33, is charged with receiving RM15,000 from Samhan Adnan, RM70,000 from Mohd Fadly Abdul Hamid, as well as two counts of abetting his mother to collect RM25,000 from Big Data Networks Sdn Bhd, and RM50,000 from Prima Arenaniaga Sdn Bhd.

All the offences were committed in the Klang Valley, Pahang and Sarawak between 2015 and early this year.

Deputy public prosecutor Allan Suman Pillai proposed a bail of RM1 million each for Zahrah and Abdulazeez.

However, their lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh pleaded for a lower sum as Zahrah had just retired and received a monthly pension of RM2,229.

Hamidi also said that Abdulazeez’s business was affected during the course of MACC’s investigation.

“A very high bail should not be imposed or else it will be seen as punishing them before their trials are concluded,” he added.