4-12-2025 (KUALA LUMPUR) Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, former political secretary to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, entered a not guilty plea on Thursday to four counts of corruption in Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court. The 51-year-old faces charges under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act for allegedly accepting bribes totaling RM176,829 (about US$42,930) in cash, furniture, and electrical goods from businessman Datuk Albert Tei Jiann Cheing.
The transactions, spanning November 2023 to March 2024, were purportedly in exchange for influencing approvals of mineral exploration licenses in Sabah for Tei-linked companies. If convicted, Shamsul risks up to 20 years in prison and fines exceeding the bribe amount.
Tei, charged alongside him, also pleaded not guilty and received similar penalties. The court granted Shamsul bail of RM150,000 with two sureties, requiring passport surrender and monthly reporting to authorities. Emerging composed from the hearing, he vowed to clear his name through legal channels, thanking supporters who chanted his name outside. He later stopped at a nearby eatery for roti canai, his first meal since morning.
The proceedings, first reported by South China Morning Post, cast a shadow on Anwar’s efforts to root out graft in government.
