High-flyers living luxuriously will raise red flag: MACC

PETALING JAYA: Government officials who live beyond their means, frequently go on golfing trips overseas, keep mistresses or have girlfriends may find themselves under the scrutiny of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Its deputy chief commissioner Datuk Azam Baki said these are indicators of corruption, which will attract the anti-graft body to investigate.
"We keep an eye out for such (government) officials," Azam said on the graft-busting agency's online radio MACC.fm during an interview this morning.
"While this does not prove that they are corrupt, these are signs. So, our intelligence officers will investigate if the money is illegitimate," he said, adding that corruption most often occurred at the top management level of government departments, especially those involved in procurement or enforcement.
He was responding to recent comments by MACC chief commissioner Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad in advising senior civil servants to stop their golfing trips abroad as it can be opportunities for corruption.
Azam said golf often offers an opportunity for those in upper society to establish ties, be it public figures, government officials or businessmen.
"Golf by itself is not wrong and those who join others to play golf are not wrong, too. I also play golf. But in Malaysia, golf involves high-ranking officials, public figures and people in high-society.
"An entourage on overseas golfing trips often include contractors, suppliers ... sometimes the whole (government official's) office go along on these trips," he said.
Azam said this does not only happen at the federal level but has also involves state, district and local government staff.
On another matter, he said MACC has changed its strategy from being a passive investigative body relying on whistle-blowers to a pro-active intelligence-gathering agency.
This resulted in the commission's recent successes, including several high-profile cases such as the Sabah Water Department corruption scandal, where over RM190 million in cash was seized.
Other cases included the arrest and charging of a senior official in the Youth and Sports Ministry for allegedly embezzling RM100 million.
He also credited MACC's success in 2016 to the agency's 1,600 officers nationwide who were committed in fighting corruption.
Azam said combating corruption can also help preserve the country's harmony and security, as graft strains the government's ability to perform its duties properly.
The commission's work can also help increase government revenue as about 70% of the cash or assets seized will be returned to government coffers, he added.
However, Azam reiterated that MACC's primary duty is to investigate corruption instead of seizing assets, which is best left to other relevant authorities.
The MACC opened 982 investigative papers in 2016, which resulted in 932 arrests and 258 prosecutions, reflecting an improvement in its effectiveness, compared with 841 in 2015, 552 cases in 2014 and 509 in 2013.