KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has denied allegations that it unfairly targeted Chai Jin Shern, also known as James Chai, insisting that the issuance of a Notice to Trace him was a standard investigative procedure and not an act of persecution.
In a statement today, MACC said it viewed seriously Chai’s recent public remarks, which it described as containing “inaccurate” and “misleading” claims that gave the public a false impression of the Commission’s investigative processes.
“The allegation that the press conference was held solely to target James Chai is entirely untrue and baseless,” MACC said.
The Commission explained that the press conference in question was part of its regular monthly media briefing to update journalists on developments in several ongoing investigations.
Among the cases highlighted were Op Middlemen, involving a syndicate allegedly facilitating bribes to enforcement officers to allow heavy vehicles to bypass road safety regulations; an illegal e-waste investigation linked to the Department of Environment; Op Heart; investigations involving IJM; and Op Godfather, which relates to a case involving Toh Puan Nai’mah Ab Khalid, her family members and associates.
MACC stressed that the issuance of a Notice to Trace an individual or witness to assist in investigations is a routine enforcement mechanism used by the Commission and other agencies.
“It must be emphasised that a Notice to Trace does not constitute a criminal accusation, nor does it imply that the individual concerned has committed any offence,” the Commission said.
“It is merely a step taken to locate individuals required to assist in an investigation.”
According to MACC, such notices are issued only after multiple attempts to contact the individual have failed, including phone calls, visits to the last known address and other reasonable means.
The Commission revealed that in this particular investigation, 12 individuals — including a Federal Minister — had already been called in and had cooperated fully.
“If James Chai has nothing to hide, he should present himself and cooperate with the investigation,” MACC said.
On average, MACC issues between two and five Notices to Trace each week, depending on the needs of ongoing investigations.
The Commission said investigating officers had made several attempts to contact Chai, who was traced to be in the United Kingdom, before the notice was issued.
Beginning Feb 24, 2026, the investigating officer attempted to reach him via WhatsApp but received no response. After repeated attempts, the officer’s number was allegedly blocked by Chai’s on Feb 26.
“Therefore, the claim that MACC did not attempt to contact him before issuing the notice is completely untrue,” the statement read.
MACC described attempts to portray routine investigative procedures as persecution as “unwarranted” and made in bad faith, warning that such narratives could undermine public confidence in legitimate law enforcement processes.
Reiterating its adherence to the principle of presumption of innocence, MACC said being called to assist in an investigation does not imply guilt.
“No one is above the law,” the Commission said.
“The investigation will continue to be conducted professionally and based on evidence, and any individual called to assist in an investigation should provide full cooperation to the authorities rather than evade the process or deliberately create misleading public narratives,” it said. – March 4, 2026