THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today arrested a political secretary of a ministry to facilitate investigations in connection with misappropriation of allocation channelled to the Skills Development Fund Corporation.

MACC chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad said the MACC arrested the political secretary at 12.30pm and he would be brought to court tomorrow for a remand order to facilitate investigations.

“Previously, we arrested four people in connection with this case, all of whom have been remanded and released on MACC bail. Today, the MACC arrested another person, who is the political secretary of a ministry,” he said after opening the Penang state-level “Anti-Corruption Tour 2017” programme at SK Hashim Awang in Kepala Batas today.

According to a MACC source, the political secretary, 61, is a member of the Sarawak United People’s Party’s (SUPP) Serian branch in Sarawak.

“The individual was arrested by MACC when he turned up to give a statement at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya at 12.30pm,” said the source.

On September 13, the MACC arrested four individuals for allegedly embezzling up to RM40 million in government funds, which should have been channelled to a skills corporation for training programmes. 

Those arrested were a 58-year-old chief executive with a “Datuk” title; a corporate secretary, 34; assistant financial officer, 32; and, company director, 38, at several locations in the federal capital.  

The four were remanded for six days from September 14 and later released on MACC bail. – Bernama, September 27, 2017.