logo
Former bank officer among five nabbed by MACC over graft involving RM11.3mil loan

Former bank officer among five nabbed by MACC over graft involving RM11.3mil loan

The Star21-05-2025

SANDAKAN: Five men, including a former bank officer, have been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Sabah on suspicion of receiving bribes amounting to approximately RM300,000 as an incentive to approve financial loans totaling RM11.3mil, Sinar Harian reports.
The Malay language daily reported that all the suspects, aged from their 20s to 40s, were arrested while giving statements at the MACC office in Sandakan between 2pm and 7pm Wednesday (May 21).
They are believed to have received bribes from the owner of a company as a reward for approving financial loan applications accompanied by fraudulent supporting documents.
Preliminary investigations revealed that all the suspects have been involved in this corrupt activity from 2022 to 2024, which involved approving loans totaling RM11.2mil to 39 applicants.
Sabah MACC director Datuk S. Karunanithy, confirmed the arrest of the five suspects.
'The case is being investigated under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009 for receiving bribes as an inducement to perform an act related to official duties.
'This arrest is the result of cooperation between Sabah MACC and the Internal Audit Unit of a local financial institution,' he told Sinar Harian.
Karunanithy further told the daily that a remand application for all the suspects will be made at the Sandakan Sessions Court on Thursday (May 22) to allow further investigation.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Jerantut tragedy: 'I told them not to go', says grieving mother who lost five loved ones
Jerantut tragedy: 'I told them not to go', says grieving mother who lost five loved ones

The Star

time22 minutes ago

  • The Star

Jerantut tragedy: 'I told them not to go', says grieving mother who lost five loved ones

PARIT: A mother's intuition that something was amiss turned into a tragedy when her four children and a son-in-law died in an accident at Kilometer 7, Jalan Jerantut Feri–Maran, Pahang at midnight last night (Friday, June 6). According to a Sinar Harian report, Zaini Noh, 52, said her feeling of unease led her to advise her children and son-in-law not to proceed with their plan to celebrate Hari Raya at their uncle's house. However, she said, her children were very eager, which led her and her husband, Aziz Jaafar Yusof, 50, to give their permission. "I couldn't go because I wasn't feeling well. I told them, if mom doesn't go, there's no need to go. "I advised them many times not to go, but they insisted," she said when met at her home in Kampung Padang Kunchor, Bota Kanan here, on Saturday. In the incident at 12:40 a.m., Nur Arfiqah Aziz Jaafar, 23, along with her three siblings, Mohammad Zulkifli, 21, Mohamad Azizul Hakimi, 19, and Nurul Hazwani, 17, died after the Perodua Bezza car they were traveling in collided with a Toyota Alphard multipurpose vehicle (MPV). The deceased were the second, third, fourth, and fifth children among six siblings. Also killed was Nur Arfiqah's husband, Mohamad Ikmal Ishak, 26, who was driving the vehicle. Zaini mentioned that her children had not visited their uncle's house in Jerantut for a long time, and this visit was the first after a long period. "They went there because my brother was hosting a sacrificial feast. Other relatives, including my youngest child, left a day earlier, on Thursday, using two other vehicles," she said. According to Zaini, the last time she saw all her children was on Tuesday before the incident. She said they gathered and packed their belongings to stay at Nur Arfiqah's residence in Tambun before leaving for Jerantut around 5 p.m. on Friday. "I saw they were all cheerful the last time we met. Only the children's friends had much to tell. "They said my son (Mohammad Zulkifli) managed to treat 10 of his housemates to packed meals," she said. She received news of the accident through a call from a neighbour who informed her that her children were involved in an accident. "The neighbour called, saying the children had an accident, but didn't mention about their deaths. It was much later that we found out that all of them were gone," she explained. Despite the difficulty in accepting the reality, Zaini and her husband remained strong and resigned to face this great loss. She said they are now left with only two children, the eldest (a son) and the youngest (a daughter). "What can I say... I am resigned," she said, holding back tears. The bodies of all the victims will be prayed over at Masjid Jamek Bota Kanan and buried at the Islamic Cemetery of Kampung Selat, Bota Kanan on Saturday (June 7).

Madani slammed for EV perks to rich, burden on poor
Madani slammed for EV perks to rich, burden on poor

Focus Malaysia

timean hour ago

  • Focus Malaysia

Madani slammed for EV perks to rich, burden on poor

THE Madani government's push for electric vehicles (EVs) was initially praised, as EVs are seen as better for the environment than fuel-powered cars. However, the high prices of EVs have made them unaffordable for most Malaysians — especially since almost 35% of formal workers earn less than RM2,000 a month. Under current policies, EVs are exempt from import and excise duties until the end of this year. This has triggered criticism on social media. Some users on X pointed out that while EV buyers — often the wealthy — get to enjoy tax-free benefits, regular Malaysians who buy fuel-run cars must still pay high taxes. One user said that someone buying a locally made car like the Proton Saga would still pay around RM15,000 in excise and sales taxes. Many Malaysians need a car just to go to work, especially in a car-dependent country like Malaysia. Meanwhile, luxury EVs like the Porsche Taycan — which costs RM675,000 — are completely tax-free. When a low-income M'sian buys a Proton Saga, he pays RM15,375 in excise & sales tax. But when a rich man buys an EV Porsche Taycan, he pays zero — saving over RM600,000. Tesla Model 3 saves RM225k. BYD Dolphin saves RM120k. Well done, Madani. Reward the rich, tax the poor. — khalid karim STEMKITA (@khalidkarim) June 6, 2025 To put things into perspective, that car costs nearly as much as the median house price in the Klang Valley, which is around RM745,000. Another user pointed out that even if Malaysians pay less income tax than in some countries, they still end up paying a lot of 'indirect' taxes on daily goods and services. Malaysia's income tax may be lower than many countries but we pay a lot more indirect taxes — 1negara (@1negara1) June 7, 2025 Many Malaysians online feel that the current EV policy seems to benefit the rich while leaving the poor behind. There's growing frustration over why Malaysia has set an RM100,000 minimum price for EVs — especially since brands like BYD offer much cheaper EVs in places like Thailand and China. This price gap has raised concerns about fairness and accessibility in Malaysia's EV market. — June 7, 2025 Main photo credit: Shutterstock

Govt's data collection directive sparks privacy concerns, says Dr Wee
Govt's data collection directive sparks privacy concerns, says Dr Wee

The Star

time2 hours ago

  • The Star

Govt's data collection directive sparks privacy concerns, says Dr Wee

PETALING JAYA: The government's efforts to collate detailed records of phone calls and internet usage from telecommunications firms are a violation of the people's right to their personal data, said Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong. He also said there is no need to have such detailed information for facilitating policymaking in the information, communications and technology (ICT) sector, and the tourism sector, as clarified by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). 'This is not a question of whether we trust in the current government or not. The question is, why does the government want to collect such detailed information on its citizens? 'Today, we say it's to study tourism statistics. We don't know what it'll be for tomorrow. 'You want to calculate tourists? You want to calculate active broadband users? You don't need the people's personal data. Aggregate data is enough,' Dr Wee said in a posting on his Facebook page on Saturday (June 7). It was previously reported that, according to industry sources, the government in April had ordered telcos in Malaysia to hand over detailed records of phone calls and internet logs for the first three months of this year, supposedly for the government's 'Mobile Phone Data' project. The records demanded purportedly include information about call logs, IP call records, location, latitude and longitude. It was also reported that if the telcos failed to comply, it would be considered an offence under the Communications and Multimedia Act, carrying a penalty of RM20,000 fine or six months' jail. MCMC has since explained that this move is to support evidence-based policymaking in two key sectors, i.e. the ICT and tourism sectors. The commission also stressed that the data will be anonymised before it is submitted to them and that no individual subscriber can be identified through the data collected. 'In both cases, no individual subscriber can be identified through the data collected,' MCMC said. However, Dr Wee said anonymising the data is not enough to maintain the privacy of the users, especially in an increasingly connected world. 'If you're collecting data on who we call, how long we talk, our Internet IP, and our location, including latitude and longitude - with such consistent location data showing the exact time and day, anyone with access to this data can easily match it back to our identities. 'Our identities can be uncovered very easily,' he said. On top of that, he added, there is also data from the mobile app MySejahtera, e-wallets, CCTVs, Touch n' Go and bank records which can be cross-checked to identify someone. MCMC had also previously said they engaged extensively with all telcos over the past two years on the safe handover of the data, but Dr Wee questioned the need to threaten the telcos if this is true. 'If it is true that this is all safe and it has all been agreed upon for two years, why is there a need to threaten the telcos?' Ultimately, he said, this is not about politics but about the rights of the people. 'Our personal data is not the right of any government, whether today, tomorrow or those to come. 'When the government starts collecting such detailed data, that has already crossed the line. 'The Malaysian people must raise this issue. Our data is not a plaything.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store