KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is reviewing some 1,000 files of couples who registered their marriages with the Perlis Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JAIPs) as part of investigations into possible bribery cases.
Its chief commissioner, Tan Sri Azam Baki, said the move was not to question the intentions of the marriages but to take action against those who have exploited the situation for personal gain.
"What I know is that opening a marriage registration file costs only RM750, but from our investigation, some couples were charged between RM2,500 and RM6,000.
"This is extra money beyond the fees set by the Perlis government. This is one of the things we are investigating," he said during a visit to Balai Berita in Bangsar.
Azam said the commission is viewing the matter seriously as the issue seems to have been going on for some time.
"They have been operating for a long time and several other states are experiencing the same situation.
"We found similar operations in Perak, and the officers involved have been charged and convicted. So, this issue is now happening in Perlis.
"We will not make it easy for those accepting bribes. We will check how many files have been opened, where the money received was channeled through, and why they chose to do this," he added.
Previously, it was reported that MACC was investigating bribes taken from Malaysian couples to register their marriage with the Perlis religious authorities after getting married in a neighbouring country.
On May 5, the MACC detained a senior officer with JAIPs, an imam, and the latter's son in connection with the case. They have been released on bail pending further investigation on June 13.
A source with the MACC said the commission was considering freezing the accounts as investigators are probing the trio for allegedly raking in over RM1 million in kickbacks to register the marriages of Malaysian couples who wed in Thailand between 2022 and last year.