Every year, MACC arrests hundreds of civil servants suspected of being involved in corruption and migrant worker syndicates.
However, there are major questions about the effectiveness of integrity systems, internal controls, and oversight within government departments.
For example, a recent case involved a low-ranking KP1 immigration officer in Johor who was arrested twice by MACC within five months for the same offence, yet continued working as usual without being prosecuted.
The officer - referred to as A - was allegedly involved in “counter settings” or manipulating the system at border checkpoints to allow foreigners to enter Malaysia illegally.
Malaysiakini is withholding the suspect’s identity until he is charged in court.
The first arrest allegedly took place in April when the immigration integrity unit detained him at the Pasir Gudang Ferry Terminal in Johor.
He was later handed over to Johor MACC for further investigation.
However, while he was still under investigation, the officer was reportedly reassigned to the same terminal - a move that raises questions about the administrative procedures and controls within the Immigration Department.
Months later, he was allegedly involved in the same activities again, this time with a local cartel member known as “Tuan E”.
“Tuan E” is the younger brother of “DK”, a cartel figure said to wield significant influence among enforcement agencies, especially in Johor and Putrajaya.
The new syndicate reportedly focused on blacklisted Indonesian nationals banned from entering Malaysia.
Sea smuggling and wire cutting
On Sept 24, Johor MACC again arrested A, along with a group of individuals, during a simultaneous operation at three ferry terminals: Pasir Gudang, Muar, and Malacca.
They were suspected of involvement in bribery to facilitate the entry of Indonesians into the country via sea.
According to sources, the officer exploited the school holiday and festive seasons as ideal periods to smuggle Indonesians into Malaysia.
He was allegedly assisted by a ferry operator in Pasir Gudang, referred to as B.
“The entries were made when the immigration system was down for more than four days after the system wires were deliberately cut in the server room,” a source told Malaysiakini on condition of anonymity.
However, according to the source, B was not arrested despite being believed to have played a key role in the syndicate.
According to MACC sources, the officers involved are suspected of having received over RM500,000 in bribes from agents and runners who were also detained.
MACC also seized around RM50,000 in cash, 71 million Indonesian rupiah (IDR) (about RM17,500), a Toyota Vellfire worth RM115,000, and an Italjet Dragster motorcycle worth RM30,000.
Additionally, MACC applied to freeze 25 bank accounts belonging to 13 individuals, with a total value of RM1.2 million.
Although the operation - known as Ops Setting - successfully dismantled the syndicate, major questions remain as to why an officer who had previously been detained was allowed to return to the same posting and repeat the same offences in such a short time.
90pct returned to duty
However, what happened with A and B may not be an isolated case.
Checks by Malaysiakini found several MACC cases involving immigration officers where no serious action was taken.
The chart below shows that more than 100 immigration officers have been arrested by MACC since 2020 through several major operations, but fewer than 10 were charged in court, while more than 90 percent returned to duty without serious action taken.
Malaysiakini has contacted MACC and the Immigration Department for comments.
When contacted, a Johor MACC officer told Malaysiakini that charges would be brought soon.
“Some will be charged in the near future,” said the officer, who declined to be named.
The officer said MACC’s role is limited to investigating and presenting its findings to the prosecution.
“The decision to assign staff members who have been arrested by MACC lies entirely with the discretion and consideration of the respective department or agency,” he said. - Mkini
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