MACC calls in five Sabah reps over corruption scandal from leaked videos

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 17): The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said it has summoned five Sabah lawmakers for questioning over videos alleging abuse in the award of projects in the state.

The commission today confirmed receiving a formal report on the matter involving alleged corruption in the procurement of mineral projects in the state.

“Preliminary investigations have uncovered information implicating several Sabah state assemblymen in the alleged corruption involving the said businessman.

“To date, five assemblymen have been called in for questioning, and investigations are actively ongoing,” the MACC said in a statement.

It also urged the public not to speculate about the case and to allow authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation.

Earlier this month, the Malaysiakini news portal published four videos that showed a businessman negotiating with a Sabah assemblyman off-screen to support a company’s project proposal in a state.

MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki previously said his agency was only presented with an unclear 17-second audio recording of the exchange while the videos were provided to Malaysiakini.

Azam further said the person in the video had demanded protection as a whistleblower, which the MACC chief said they were not entitled to receive as an active participant of the alleged corruption.

Earlier today, Malaysiakini said it received a Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) request to remove one of the videos.

The MCMC reportedly said both items could potentially affect police investigations into alleged death threats made against the person shown in the video and violate his privacy.