SEVERAL companies tasked with assisting the government in channelling funds to the needy during the Covid-19 pandemic had resorted to corruption to enrich themselves, a senior Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer said. 

MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya said many succumbed to the “culture of greed” and “fading value of integrity”, adding that there was no use for fancy policies when their implementation was a failure. 

Noting that there were “serious leakages” and misappropriations, Khusairi said a large group of individuals had taken the opportunity to profit from the suffering of those burdened by job losses.

“These people blatantly took advantage of the funds provided by the government by making false claims for personal wealth. 

“This is the attitude of economic opportunists on a small and medium scale. The value of integrity has faded and greed has become a culture,” he said. 

Khusairi said MACC arrested 133 company owners — including directors — last year for their alleged involvement in the misappropriation of funds. 

He said more than 100 companies had been investigated for misappropriation of funds estimated at RM194 million. 

Khusairi admitted that there were loopholes and weaknesses in the process of disbursing aid, resulting in several companies being owned by the same person making multiple claims. 

He also highlighted how the nationwide emergency from January 11 to August 1, 2021 was used as an excuse to “not perform due diligence on applicants”. 

In early January, MACC arrested four top officials of private companies, including a managing director and general manager, to assist in investigations into alleged corruption involving a special government programme worth RM114 million. 

The four men were arrested at its headquarters in Putrajaya when they turned up to have their statements recorded. 

A week later the anti-graft body seized several documents during raids at eight government agencies and nine companies in an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of RM92.5 billion by the previous Perikatan Nasional-led government. 

A source from the anti-graft body said the eight government agencies were found to have received large allocations through stimulus packages approved by the then government in 2020 and 2021. 

In an earlier statement, MACC said the Finance Ministry had provided it with details on the breakdown of the funds under the economic stimulus packages in 2020 and 2021 related to Covid-19 management. 

It said initial investigations found that an estimated RM530 billion was allocated, of which RM92.5 billion were government funds.  

Subsequently, it was reported that MACC would summon former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin and two former ministers to facilitate investigations into the matter. – January 26, 2023.