Protect business premises operating without licence: Three MBSA enforcement officers arrested

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested three Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) enforcement officers on suspicion of accepting bribes of between RM300 and RM3,500 a month to protect business premises operating without valid licence in the council area.

The three suspects, aged between 41 and 49, were arrested after they were called to give their statements at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya at 9 am today.

According to a MACC source, two of the suspects are MBSA enforcement officers from the Sungai Buloh branch and the other, is from the Shah Alam MBSA.

The MACC also arrested an Acehnese trader, believed to be involved in selling contraband cigarettes, after he was found without valid travel document.

“The trader has been operating since 2019 and is said to pay RM300 a month to enforcement officers to avoid action,” he told Bernama today.

The trader was featured in a live video, which was then viraled, via the Hot Burger Malaysia Facebook page and shared by Mohd Asri Hamid, 42, also known as Asri Janggut, who also claimed that the authorities did not take action on gambling activities in Bandar Baru Sungai Buloh and exposed the locations where the alleged gambling activities took place.

Following the exposure, the MACC, with the cooperation of the Bukit Aman Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (JIPS), conducted an investigation.

Preliminary investigation by MACC found that the suspected enforcement officers were believed to have received bribes of between hundreds to thousands of ringgit a month to protect a business premises.

“The premises include those operating food business without a license, selling cigarettes, stalls that do business at unauthorised places and gambling premises," he added.

According to the source, there were also enforcement officers who leaked information on operations to be conducted by the authorities.

“This is why the operation failed,” he added.

Meanwhile, MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (Operations), Datuk Seri Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya, when contacted by Bernama, confirmed the arrest.

“The MACC believes that the collection of the bribe money was done in stages among the enforcement personnel,” he said.

He urged those with information regarding corrupt practises among enforcement authorities to come forward and lodge a report, saying that their identities would not be revealed.

He said the suspects would be brought to the Putrajaya Magistrate Court tomorrow for the MACC to obtain a remand order against them.

Meanwhile, the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) said it would extend its full cooperation to the MACC in its investigation.

MBSA's Corporate and Public Relations Division, in a statement, said MBSA would not compromise with or protect any employees found to have abused their power.

“MBSA would like to advise the public to report any wrongdoing by its staff by directing their complaints to aduanintegriti@mbsa.gov.my or ‪03-55105133‬, extension 1671,” it added.

-- BERNAMA