30-4-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) Malaysian authorities have apprehended two senior executives from a water supply company based in the southern state of Johor. The high-ranking suspects, aged 36 and 40, were taken into custody by officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at approximately 2 pm on Monday, 29 April, at the commission’s Selangor office.
The arrests follow a series of complaints lodged against the two men last year, alleging they had accepted bribes from contractors engaged by the utility firm. MACC director for Johor, Datuk Azmi Alias, confirmed the detentions were carried out under Section 16(a)(A) and Section 18 of the MACC Act, Malaysia’s primary anti-graft legislation.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the suspects are also being investigated for purportedly submitting falsified documents to improperly secure RM3.3 million in funding for a programme that was never fully implemented. The misappropriated allocation was meant to support the company’s operations and service delivery.
Both individuals were expected to be transported to the Johor Bahru Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 30 April, to face a remand hearing as the MACC’s probe intensifies. The investigation represents a major crackdown on alleged corruption within Johor’s water infrastructure and utilities sector.
The detained executives held senior managerial roles overseeing critical operations and contractor engagement at the unnamed water company.
