05/03/2026

THURSDAY | MAR 5, 2026 5 State exco member removed from role PETALING JAYA: Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) Fahmi Zainol has been removed from his role as Penang Agrotechnology, Food Security and Cooperative Development Committee chairman with immediate effect, following a party directive. Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the decision was conveyed to the PKR assemblyman yesterday morning. “I wish to inform that Fahmi’s service as a member of the state executive council has ended. I met him early this morning and he has accepted the decision,” he said yesterday. Fahmi, a first-term assemblyman, had recently been suspended from his party posts pending the outcome of a court case. Chow said he would be submitting a proposal for a replacement to the Yang di-Pertua Negeri later in the day for consent. “Upon obtaining consent, my office will issue an official statement to announce the appointment of a new exco member to fill the vacancy arising from the end of Fahmi’s service.” Asked whether the replacement would also come from PKR, he indicated it was likely, adding that Fahmi represented the party within the state administration. On the possibility of a reshuffle of portfolios, he said any changes would be announced when the new exco member takes the oath of office, which is expected later this week. On Sunday, PKR secretary-general Datuk Fuziah Salleh confirmed that Fahmi had been suspended from the party with immediate effect after he was charge at a Magistrate’s Court for allegedly causing hurt to his wife. – BY IKHWAN ZULKAFLEE Two killed in separate road collisions IPOH: Two men were killed and two others injured in separate road crashes in Perak yesterday. State Fire and Rescue Department assistant director (Operations) Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said the first incident at 5.05am occurred on the road linking Ayer Tawar town to Bota. “A car skidded and overturned near a traffic light junction. One man was trapped in the driver’s seat while another had been thrown from the vehicle. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene while the second victim sustained injuries and was taken to a hospital.” The second crash near Padang Grus in Lenggong involved a four-wheel drive and an SUV. He said firefighters found two occupants of the SUV trapped and unconscious while the driver of the four-wheel drive was not at the scene. “The SUV driver suffered a fractured shoulder while his passenger, a 23-year-old Indonesian man, died at the scene.” – Bernama Woman found dead with slash wounds SEREMBAN: A foreign woman was found dead in Nilai with slash wounds on her neck at a foreign worker dormitory on Monday. Nilai district police chief Supt Johari Yahya said police were alerted through MERS 999 at 11.21pm by a local man who found the victim, aged in her 30s, unconscious and bleeding on the dormitory stairway. He said forensic examination found that the victim’s neck had sustained multiple wounds from a sharp weapon. “Investigations into the motive are ongoing but police have not ruled out a personal or financial dispute based on initial evidence,” Johari said yesterday. He said the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code and those with information are urged to contact the Nilai district police headquarters at 06-790 4222 or any police station to assist in the investigation. – Bernama

Ex-minister, senior officials quizzed in RM1.1b graft case

o MACC secures key documents linked to investigation of govt investment venture

Ministry, Malaysian Investment Development Authority and the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry. “We have secured important documents from the relevant agencies and ministries. We are also examining the Cabinet paper related to the case and are in the process of summoning other witnesses.” Azam said another individual, who is overseas, is also being sought in connection with the investigation. “We have issued a notice through the media urging him to return to Malaysia to have his statement recorded. There has been no response,” he said, adding that the person is believed to be in the United Kingdom (UK). Responding to speculations, former Economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli’s aide confirmed that the Pandan MP has not been served a notice to provide a statement to MACC. The probe stems from a complaint regarding a project between the Malaysian government and UK-based ARM Holdings. Rafizi has previously denied any wrongdoing related to the Silicon Vision Programme and the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR).

He said while the NETR was formulated by the Economy Ministry, it did not involve public funds for project construction, with all procurement matters overseen by the Finance Ministry. Under the NETR framework, private companies are permitted to develop renewable energy projects and supply green electricity directly to industrial players without routing it through Tenaga Nasional Bhd. Rafizi outlined the layers of scrutiny applied to the Silicon Vision Programme before approval, explaining that preliminary discussions were held between the Economy Ministry’s team and ARM, followed by inter-ministerial committee reviews involving three ministers and senior officials from the Economy, Finance and the Investment, Trade and Industry ministries. He said there was direct engagement between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and ARM CEO Rene Haas, as well as ARM’s largest shareholder Masayoshi Son of SoftBank.

█ BY IKHWAN ZULKAFLEE newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PUTRAJAYA: A former minister and a former secretary-general are among 12 individuals to have been questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the alleged misappropriation of RM1.11 billion involving a government investment venture. MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said investigators have summoned officials from multiple government agencies and secured key documents linked to the case. “We have recorded statements from 12 witnesses from various government agencies, including a former minister.” He confirmed that those questioned also included senior officers from the Economy PUTRAJAYA: A syndicate of “tontos”, or middlemen, believed to have facilitated bribes to enforcement officers to allow heavy vehicles exceeding weight limits to operate on public roads has been smashed. Eighteen individuals, including Road Transport Department enforcement officers and traffic policemen, were detained in a sweeping joint operation dubbed Ops Middleman. Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the arrests, carried out by MACC in collaboration with the department, detained four department officers, four traffic policemen, two company owners, seven alleged middlemen and one individual identified as a mule account holder. “We have opened separate investigation papers for each of the 18 arrested,” said Azam at the MACC headquarters yesterday. He said Ops Middleman was launched on Feb 24 following an intelligence-gathering exercise that lasted three months. He also said MACC worked closely with the department after it mounted large-scale crackdowns on overloaded lorries last year, resulting in numerous arrests and penalties. “From the department’s enforcement actions, certain information was gathered and shared with MACC. Based on that intelligence, we focused on the issue of bribery involving middlemen who paid enforcement officers to facilitate illegal activities, including allowing overloaded lorries to operate on public roads.” The operation spanned Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, focusing on individuals whose names had appeared on a shared watchlist. Prior to the arrests, MACC conducted surveillance to track the suspects’ movements and trace financial flows into company accounts. Probes into the alleged middlemen are being carried out under Section 17(b) of the MACC Act 2009 while enforcement officers are being probed under Section 17(a) of the same Act for allegedly soliciting and accepting bribes. Azam said 25 vehicles, estimated to be worth RM2.5 million, were seized. “We believe these vehicles are linked to the proceeds of corruption based on our financial analysis and investigation findings. “In addition to cash, jewellery estimated at

He said the proposal was presented to the Cabinet on three separate occasions before receiving final approval. Middlemen syndicate bribing traffic officers busted

Azam (third from left) said investigators have identified about RM12.48 million in suspected corrupt transactions. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUN

RM40,000, 27 phones valued at about RM81,000 and 41 walkie-talkies worth about RM14,760 were confiscated. “The communication devices are believed to have been used by middlemen to coordinate movements and alert one another of enforcement activities.” MACC has also frozen 59 bank accounts involving RM4,692,280 belonging to individuals and companies suspected of being linked to the network. The total value of seizures and frozen assets amounted to RM7,692,465. Azam added that investigators have identified about RM12.48 million in suspected corrupt transactions. “Our focus now is to trace where the money has been channelled. We are examining the financial trail to establish the full extent of the network.” Azam stressed that corruption cannot occur unilaterally.

“Bribery does not happen on one side alone. There must be a giver and a receiver. “In this case, the middlemen acted as facilitators, offering bribes on behalf of certain companies to ensure enforcement officers turned a blind eye.” He added that investigations would be widened to include companies believed to have financed the middlemen. Owners of lorry companies and other relevant parties will be called in to assist in completing the probe, he added. Azam said while the sums per transaction were relatively small, sometimes less than RM1,000, the payments were made repeatedly. MACC expects to complete investigations within a month before submitting the papers to the Attorney-General’s Chambers. “We will pursue firm action against all parties involved. Any assets recovered will undergo the legal process for forfeiture.” – BY IKHWAN ZULKAFLEE