MALAYSIAN Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Penang is tomorrow charging seven people under investigation for manipulating the public service vehicle licence renewal process.

Penang MACC director Abdul Aziz Aban said four would be charged in court in George Town and two in the Butterworth court.

“One suspect, who is supposed to be charged in Butterworth tomorrow, is currently seeking medical treatment overseas. So only two will be charged (in Butteworth) first,” he told reporters today. 

An eighth suspect is expected to be charged in Perak. 

It is learnt that five of the suspects are doctors. 

In February, MACC arrested seven doctors, including one in a government hospital, and a 41-year-old clinic assistant and two runners following investigations into allegations that the doctors had abused their positions by approving medical examinations to renew PSV licences without examining the applicants.

MACC also raided seven clinics, two other premises and a private kiosk in Bukit Mertajam, Batu Ferringhi, Pekan Lama, Gelugor and Prai, 

On a separate matter, Aziz said the Penang Education Department had turned up clean despite nearly 30 reports lodged in two years over alleged graft and power abuse within the department.

He said investigations had showed the department to be guilty of neither charge.

“The department is corruption-free so far,” he told the media earlier today after Education Department officials took the anti-corruption pledge.

It was reported that between 2015 and now, MACC had received 29 reports of graft and power abuse within the department.

Aziz said he had seen nine educators, including a headmaster, arrested for corruption in another state where he was based formerly

He said teachers could get into trouble for misappropriating donations, using school funds for their own benefit, and awarding supply contracts to businesses owned by their spouses.

He urged civil servants to follow the rules and report those who offer them bribes.

Earlier in his speech, Aziz said MACC had arrested 45 people in Penang over graft, as of May 28.

He said 22 of those detained were civil servants and 15 were from the private sector. – May 29, 2017.