THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is conducting an investigation into several questionable financial allocations of the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) for 2017, it was revealed today.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo said the MACC had confirmed this and he had been informed that MACC officers went to the Finas headquarters on June 7. Finas is the central government agency for the film industry and is involved in the promotion of filming in Malaysia.

“I wish to emphasise here that the Communications and Multimedia Ministry will neither tolerate nor compromise in any matter involving elements of corruption, leakage or abuse of power in any agency or department under its jurisdiction.

“Elements of corruption, leakage or abuse of power in our country’s creative industry, if any, can weaken the healthy competition necessary to expand the industry and will cripple the development of the industry as a whole,” he said in a statement.

He said that if an investigation revealed any of these elements, then strict action must be taken, lawfully or internally, to address the matter immediately.

“Therefore, the MACC should be given ample room in this investigation and the relevant quarters have to extend the necessary cooperation to complete the probe,” he said.

He said he hoped that the investigation would also delve into the programmes where Finas allocations were used in the past.

“If there exists any weaknesses or shortcomings, proposals to strengthen these areas can be submitted to the ministry for its consideration,” he said. – Bernama, June 19, 2018