MACC, Economy Ministry form special team to monitor projects

Summary

• The MACC and the Economy Ministry agree to establish a team to monitor the ministry's projects at the state and district levels.

• The MACC says this special team will perform surprise inspections and improve existing SOPs for better governance.

• It will also oversee the exchange of information between the MACC and the ministry over allocations to states and districts.

The MACC and the Economy Ministry agreed to establish a team to monitor the ministry's projects at the state and district levels.

In a statement today, the MACC said the special team will perform surprise inspections and investigations into corruption, abuse of power and embezzlement.

This team will also identify weaknesses in existing systems of procedure to ensure effective governance, the anti-graft agency added.

Besides that, it added that the team will oversee the exchange of information between the MACC and the Economy Ministry over allocations approved for states and districts.

"MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki welcomes the seriousness and openness of Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli in ensuring transparency to curb leakage of projects approved by the ministry in the interest of the people.

"The openness and seriousness shown by the minister are very important and should be used as an example for other ministries and agencies," the statement read.

Last Saturday (April 12), Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim asserted that his administration refuses to tolerate corruption and abuse of power in any form.

It was reported that Malaysia’s position in the global Corruption Perception Index for last year has remained stagnant at the 57th spot as it again scored 50 out of 100 points.

Sabah corruption scandal

At the end of last year, Azam told Bernama that the MACC aimed to eradicate corruption in procurement, enforcement and grand corruption to help the country's economy, reduce leakages and return misappropriated national assets and money in 2025.

This came on the heels of a corruption controversy in Sabah where several state leaders allegedly took bribes from a businessperson in exchange for their support for a mineral exploration licence to be granted.

Malaysiakini released a series of articles and videos implicating eight GRS assemblypersons, as well as the state legislative assembly speaker, Kadzim Yahya.

The businessperson, who claims to possess additional videos, alleged that he bribed the politicians in exchange for mineral exploration licences.

Chief Minister Hajiji Noor has accused the individual of colluding with certain parties to discredit his administration ahead of the upcoming state election.

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