Foul!

“Corruption involving local footballers is still prevalent in the country. We are still encountering cases involving corruption among footballers, but it is not easy to prosecute someone without any concrete evidence." Those were the words of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission ( MACC) deputy chief commissioner Datuk Azam Baki. Read the report here . Here's the thing. Since the establishment of the full time committee comprising the FA of Malaysia, MACC and police in 2012 , we have hardly heard of any arrests made. Reason? As Azam said, it's not easy to prosecute without concrete evidence. As for FAM?  It's Coordination and Integrity Department, headed by former policeman Osman Bakar, does not seem to have the power or means to nab those responsible for corrupting the beautiful game. Insiders reveal the national body has been providing information to the authorities throughout last year. The M-League is still being monitored by betting websites....

As published in today's Malay Mail By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) advisory board admits the anti-graft body tends to “go in with a bang only to end in a whimper”.  It is also said sections in the MACC Act 2009 must be revised to compel those suspected of corrupt practices, including civil servants, to declare their assets and to curb abuse of power. The board’s chairman, Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim, said MACC had followed up on its major crackdowns but was done at a “lower profile”. “It’s not just us but even the men in MACC feel the same. We go in with a bang only to end in a whimper. Public perception is something we need to work on,” he said after the board’s meeting yesterday. “Investigations are on-going but we need to keep the public informed. We are all interested in the outcome (of the cases).” He was referring to MACC’s recent series of crackdowns.  ...

As published in Malay Mail today PETALING JAYA — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested the private secretary of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun, for allegedly making false claims. The private secretary, who was picked up in Kuching together with four contractors on Monday, has been remanded for seven days. He is believed to have made the claims amounting to RM100,000 for projects that never took place. “As private secretary, he was able to enter into deals of not more than RM20,000. He made several deals but they were never made public,” said an insider who declined to be named. “The contractors have been released but the private secretary has been remanded and will be flown to Kuala Lumpur for investigations. “Each claim is believed to be between RM18,000 and RM20,000 and it is believed the total claims amounted to at least RM100,000. The matter is still being investigated and hopefully he w...

As published in Malay Mail today By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my PETALING JAYA - The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is expected to haul up more Felda Investment Corporation (FIC) officers following the arrest of a decision maker over the purchase of a multi-million ringgit boutique hotel in London. The high-ranking official was nabbed on Sunday and has been remanded until today. A middleman, in his 40s, allegedly linked to the deal, was arrested last week. His remand was extended by four days yesterday. FIC, the investment arm of Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) acquired the four-star Park City Hotel for £60million (RM330 million). It was renamed Grand Plaza Hotel on Dec 15 last year. Last May, Lavista Sdn Bhd and Pegang Impian Holdings Sdn Bhd, the major shareholders of Encorp Bhd, sold a 49.45 per cent stake in Encorp to FIC for RM239.72 million. MACC special operations director Datuk Bahri Mohammad Zin confirmed the arrests. Asked if MACC was probi...

As published on the front page of Malay Mail today. By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my PETALING JAYA — A young policeman, who joined the force just six months ago, is among 26 enforcement officers picked up by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for alleged links with petrol and diesel smugglers in Durian Burung, Kedah. In what has been described as a major bust, MACC is expected to arrest more people, including police officers stationed near the Malaysia-Thailand border. The anti-corruption body had last year nabbed 12 Customs Department officers for their links with alcohol and tobacco smuggling, mainly through Port Klang. The smuggling racket cost the government billions in tax revenue. MACC had been monitoring the movements of the suspects — including nine policemen and a former Smuggling Prevention Unit (UPP) ASP who retired recently — before conducting a two-day blitz codenamed Ops Licin 2, on Monday and yesterday. The suspect...

As published in Malay Mail today By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my KUALA LUMPUR — More than a dozen top Pahang officials are being investigated over dubious land deals in the ecologically-damaged Cameron Highlands. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission  (MACC) has also questioned land owners and other individuals linked to extensive illegal land clearing to cash in on the lucrative vegetable, fruit and flower industry there. The anti-corruption agency has “stacks of documents” linking high ranking civil servants who approved land clearing between Ringlet and Kampung Raja, located almost 35km apart, sources revealed. “There are strong indications top government officials from the Land and District Office and other state government agencies are linked to the illegal land clearing in the Camerons,” said the source in the thick of investigations. “MACC is also looking at land owners and other parties involved in areas where illegal cultivations took place. Documents were seize...

As published in Malay Mail today By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and several other enforcement agencies will launch a massive crackdown on government offices soon following allegations of corrupt practices that have resulted in excessive clearing of land and influx of illegal immigrants in Cameron Highlands. MACC will also station officers at the plantation and highland resort immediately with the objective of setting up an office there permanently. Insiders claim investigations were underway as MACC “has been pressured” to tackle the issue after mud floods killed five people and injured five others on Nov 5. Homes and vehicles were also destroyed. Last October, four people were killed in a similar incident that caused heavy damage to property. Environmentalists blamed it on uncontrolled land clearing. On the planned swoop, a source said: “This crackdown will be as big as the one against...

As published in Malay Mail today By Vijhay Vick vijhayvick@mmail.com.my PETALING JAYA - Police have opened an investigation into the case of the loss of RM3.8 million from the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM).   Brickfields police chief ACP Muhammad Azlee Abdullah confirmed the case was being reopened by their Commercial Crimes Investigations department, which took statements from suspended PCM president Datuk Zainal Abu Zarin and secretary-general Siti Zaharah Abdul Khalid.   It's also understood police have requested for the findings of a previous investigation by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as well documents from a PCM's probe.   The case of the missing funds were brewing in PCM since 2011 when PCM council members questioned the transfer of RM4 million from PCM coffers to Paralimpik Ventures Sdn Bhd - a company set up to invest the council's funds in 2008.   In June 2011 , Malay Mail lifted the lid on the ...

As published in Sunday Mail today. KUALA LUMPUR — The Royal Malaysian Customs Department has embarked on a full-scale exercise to weed out bad officers including a move to rotate personnel in high risk areas such as entry and exit points in the country. Sources said dozens of officers have been implicated in illegal activities since the recent bust-up of the billion-ringgit cigarette and liquor syndicate by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). They said information on corrupt practices were concentrated in areas where there were heavy movement of import and export activities. "Due to lack of evidence, MACC has handed the Customs department a list of names to enable the department to conduct internal investigations," said the source. "The officers will be rotated to ensure they would not be exposed to unwanted elements. How long they would remain at a particular place ... that has yet to be determined. "There will be plenty of move...

As published in Sunday Mail today. By Haresh Deol and Pearl Lee mmnews@mmail.com.my KUALA LUMPUR —  A complete revamp of the disgraced Royal Malaysian Customs Department — coming in the wake of one of the country’s biggest corruption scandals in the civil service — is being set in motion to rope in more rogue officers. A task force is to be formed to study weaknesses in the department’s standard operating procedures (SOP) especially at entry and exit points where corruption is seemingly rife. A source familiar with the proposed revamp described the existing SOP for these areas, where there is heavy movement of export and import goods, as “archaic” and “riddled with shortcomings”. He said the review will also look at the existing powers of the department to determine if this allowed officers at certain levels to operate unchecked. “The situation in Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ), for instance, grants Customs almost absolute powers withou...

As published in Malay Mail today   KUALA LUMPUR — A special legislation is needed to deal with government officials who flaunt regulations and act against the interest of the public.   This was one of the five recommendations mooted by the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board (ACAB) as it focused on the misconduct of civil servants and the lack of action against them.   The board also noted refusals, delays and reluctance in taking disciplinary action by the disciplinary board of certain ministries or government departments “as well as the disproportionate sentences that were imposed on a public officer engaged in corruption”.   The statement was in conjunction with the submission of the board’s 2013 Reviews Report to the Special Committee on Corruption (SCC) on August 12.   ACAB and SCC are among the five entities which act as the check and balance mechanism to monitor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) since 2009. The boar...

The Malaysia Cup competition, which moves to the quarterfinals stage, will have special visitors attending the matches who will scrutinise the matches themselves. The special visitors are officials from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Royal Malaysian Police. The officials from these three agencies will not only observe the matches, but also the run-up to the games, including the training sessions. Read more here . HD says: Would prefer to hear the number of individuals arrested.

Federal police Criminal Investigation Department director Deputy Commissioner Datuk Abdul Hadi Ho told The Malay Mail there has been no request by Singapore police to extradite referee Shokri Nor. Bukit Aman Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division (D7) principal assistant director Datuk Abdul Jalil Hassan said: “We’ve confirmed with Interpol and there has not been any request from Singapore (to arrest Shokri)." Jalil is also part of a integrity committee set up by the FA of Malaysia and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) monitoring match fixing in the country. He said: “We are monitor his movements, including his daily activities at his house in Sungai Petani and in Kulim. “He is still holding his police identification card but he is suspended from the force at the moment.” It is learnt that former Malaysian footballer Thanasegar S. Sinnaiah, who was also charged with corruption in Singapore, has fled the republic and his whereabouts a...