Farida Hani Yakob said that Consortium Zenith BUCG senior director Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli called her and requested appointments with Lim.

“I would get his (Lim’s) consent first before fixing a date and then inform Zarul about it.

“As I recall, there were fewer than five appointments that I fixed. Their meetings were not frequent,” she said.

Farida, who worked for Lim from 2009 to 2020, said Zarul came to Komtar to meet Lim several times.

“Zarul would come alone or with his officers. The chief minister (Lim) would be accompanied by some state representatives in charge of the tunnel project.

“I did not join their meetings and do not know what they spoke about,” she said.

She told the court Zarul usually came to Komtar during office hours.

“I am not sure if he (Zarul) brought any package or envelope for his meetings with the chief minister,” Farida said.

Cross-examined by lawyer Gobind Singh Deo on whether it was part of Lim’s job as chief minister to meet people and attend to public issues until late at night, Farida answered in the affirmative.

“He doesn’t have fixed working hours. He even worked on weekends and public holidays. He is a busy man,” she added.

Farida said she and other state government staff usually did not stay with Lim beyond office hours, except when they were needed to prepare the state’s budget.

The hearing continues tomorrow before Judge Azura Alwi.

Lim is accused of using his position as then Penang chief minister to ask Zarul for a 10% cut of the profits which would be made from the roads and tunnel project.

The former finance minister is also accused of seeking RM3.3 million in kickbacks to appoint Zarul’s company to undertake the project.

Lim also faces two counts of dishonestly misappropriating RM208.7 million worth of state land to two companies.