MACC probe into trio over citizenship applications ongoing, says Azalina

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is still investigating the case in which it arrested two home ministry officials and a member of the public in May over alleged corruption in expediting citizenship applications.

Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said MACC cannot divulge any details on the investigation so far.

“According to MACC, the case is still under investigation. As such, MACC is legally bound by subsection 29(4) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 not to disclose any of the investigation’s details,” she said in a parliamentary reply.

Azalina was responding to Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas), who asked the prime minister if there had been any developments on the arrests on May 8.

MACC had said the trio were arrested in an operation in Putrajaya after it received information related to the case.

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It said the arrests were linked to Op Outlander, which saw the arrest of a civil servant believed to have been the mastermind of a syndicate allegedly registering non-citizen births as Malaysian citizens using fake supporting documents.

Azalina also said MACC cannot answer as to the status of its investigation into the late Daim Zainuddin and former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, as one of the cases relates to a matter that is sub judice, or under judicial consideration.

“The question is in violation of 23(1)(g) of the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders, and thus should not be answered,” she said.

Lim Lip Eng (PH-Kepong) had asked the prime minister to state the status of MACC’s investigation into Daim and Ismail, including whether the investigation involves their family members and the total value of the assets involved.

In June, MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said the agency had finished its probe into the corruption and money laundering allegations linked to Ismail.

He said the investigation paper had been submitted to the deputy public prosecutor’s office for further action, and a decision on whether to press charges may be made “within a month”.

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Ismail, the Bera MP, had been called in by MACC for multiple rounds of questioning since February.

MACC is investigating the discovery of about RM170 million in cash and 16kg of gold bars worth millions of ringgit, seized in raids on the residences of four men and three other premises believed to be “safe houses”.

MACC said in July that the value of the overseas assets, found in more than 10 countries including the US, the UK, Switzerland, Singapore, Italy, Japan, Indonesia and several African countries, are estimated to exceed RM3 billion.