MACC deploys officers to Esszone

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will station its officers on a permanent basis at the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (Esszone) to keep tabs on corrupt civil servants who are involved in unholy alliances that pose a threat to the country.
MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull said yesterday MACC officers would be based in Lahad Datu to assist in the efforts of deterring and eradicating corruption in the long term.
He said the MACC lauded the efforts of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) on its plan to launch a large-scale operation to weed out corrupt civil servants especially those tasked with enforcement duties.
He said the MACC will offer its full support for the operation to clean up the civil service machinery of corrupt practices.
On Tuesday, Esscom deputy director (intelligence) ACP Hashim Justin said security forces are facing an internal threat from its enforcement outfit in Esszone as there are black sheep who are in cahoots with foreign criminals involved in kidnapping, human trafficking and smuggling.
He said that the corrupt personnel had been instrumental in facilitating the entry of foreign criminals at Esszone and their actions had thwarted the dogged efforts of Esscom in keeping external threats at bay.
Hashim also warned that personnel involved in such undesirable activities to repent before the law catches up with them in the massive Esscom-MACC joint-operation that is expected to be launched soon.