KUALA LUMPUR — A former director of a government agency is among 13 people remanded by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over alleged bribery of around RM2.5 million to award contracts.
MACC’s Strategic Communications Division said the suspects operated within northern Peninsular Malaysia by allegedly asking for and taking bribes from contractors as inducement to appoint certain companies.
These companies are allegedly controlled by “cartel” agents who monopolise direct-negotiation and quotation-based projects awarded by the agency.
The suspects in remand are 10 men and three women aged between their 30s and 60s.
Eight of them are civil servants, while the remaining five are members of the public and company owners.
They were arrested between 8pm and 11pm on Monday when they turned up to provide statements at the Perak office, MACC’ strategic communications division said in a statement today.
Three of them were in remand for two days, until today, while the remaining 10 suspects were remanded for five days until June 20.
The remand orders were issued by magistrate Anis Hanini Abdullah at the Ipoh magistrate’s court yesterday following an application by investigators.
Initial investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly conspired in the scheme between 2024 and 2026.
“Contractors who were detained confirmed that they were required to pay bribes amounting to between 10 per cent and 15 per cent to intermediaries, who would then channel the payments to the director and former director of the government agency,” MACC said.
The arrests followed Op Drain, a nationwide operation carried out by the commission’s Investigation Division on Monday across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Pahang, and Perak.
During the operation, investigators raided 25 locations, including residences, office premises, and government agency facilities.
The commission also seized assets believed to be linked to the case, including approximately RM1.5 million in cash, a luxury watch, two vehicles, a high-powered motorcycle, and jewellery estimated to be worth about RM1 million.
The case is being investigated under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009. – June 17, 2026