KUALA LUMPUR: AFTER three successful operations involving government departments in the last two months, the graft busters are now gearing up for a crackdown on private corporations.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is eyeing several prominent individuals from corporations allegedly involved in corruption amounting to millions of ringgit.
MACC investigation director Datuk Mohd Jamidan Abdullah said they were investigating several high-profile individuals in the private sector who were allegedly involved in falsification of claims for a number of mega projects.
“These individuals were said to have accepted bribes totalling millions of ringgit. It is also believed that the bribery amount involved in the falsification of claims for these mega projects in the private sector far exceeded that in the government sector.”
Jamidan said corporations under the commission’s scrutiny include several government-linked companies (GLCs), power supply companies, the oil and gas industry, as well as a local banking institution.
The commission, he said, was gathering statements and evidence before proceeding with charges.
“We will charge them as soon as we receive the go-ahead from our law and prosecution division.”
He said MACC did not treat the private sector differently from the government sector.
“Private companies have never received special privileges from MACC. They, too, would be under investigation if we have evidence connecting them to graft.”
MACC had hauled up prominent figures from the private sector to court, including from Sime Darby and Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Bhd.
Jamidan said corruption in the private sector had cost the government billions of ringgit in lost revenue.
“For example, the cases involving the Customs Department staff led to the government losing about RM2 billion. As for illegal logging, the Sarawak government incurred losses of more than RM43 million in the first nine months of this year.
“We believe total losses incurred by the government due to graft is way higher than what we know of.”
In September, MACC had launched Op 2b to combat smuggling of alcohol and tobacco at the Port Klang Free Zone.
The operation led to the arrest of 33 officers of various ranks, who were charged with 212 offences involving bribes of more than RM1 million.
MACC had also, on Oct 16, carried out Op Belot to bring down law enforcers who allowed vice dens to operate under their watch for several years.
Twenty enforcement officers from the police, Domestic Trade,
Cooperatives and Consumerism
Ministry, Home Affairs Ministry, Kuala Lumpur City Hall and other local authorities from Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Johor, Perlis, Sabah and Sarawak were charged with 24 counts related to corruption.
On Oct 20, MACC launched another operation, Op Tukul, to combat illegal logging in several states. Seven people were charged under Section 17(b) of the MACC Act 2009 in Sarawak, involving bribes amounting to RM26.3 million.