IMMIGRATION chief Mustafar Ali will head a new agency tackling financial crime next year as Putrajaya ramps up enforcement against corruption, sources said.

The former top anti-corruption official was moved to the graft-ridden Immigration Department in 2016 during the Najib administration.

Mustafar is expected to relinquish his duties tomorrow announced as the new chief of the National Financial Crime Centre (NFCC) which was unveiled last week.

The new agency is expected to be fully operational by mid-2019, and will be focused on combating the illegal outflow of funds which costs the country billions of ringgit each year.

“Mustafar’s duties at Immigration end at the end of this year and he will be transferred to the new agency,” a source familiar with the transfer told The Malaysian Insight.

Two other sources in Putrajaya confirmed the transfer.

Mustafar declined to comment. 

A handing-over ceremony is due to be held at his office in Putrajaya tomorrow to mark the end of his term.

Mustafar was appointed Immigration director-general in July 2016 after serving for more than 30 years at the Anti-Corruption Agency, which was later renamed the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). His last position there was deputy chief commissioner.

In a media interview in September 2016, Mustafar said he remained an MACC officer but had been temporarily seconded to the Immigration Department.

Last week, National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption chief Abu Kassim Mohamed announced the formation of the NFCC, which would work alongside the MACC, immigration department, customs department and Bank Negara Malaysia.

“We hope it will be in operation as soon as possible after the laws have been enacted,” Abu Kassim said at a media conference earlier this month.

“The government has already agreed to appoint a team headed by a senior government officer to oversee the setting up and duties. – December 30, 2018.