KUALA LUMPUR (May 29): The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has urged those who believe that they are victims in cases of subdivision of Malay reserve land lots to non-Malays to immediately lodge a report to the agency.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said thus far, the agency had not received any reports related to such cases from other states, and described what occurred in Perak recently as an isolated case.
“If the MACC receives any information or report on the misappropriation of matters related to changing the status of Malay reserve land to freehold, it would be a criminal offence, which we will certainly investigate,” he told the media on Wednesday.
He said this after the pre-launch ceremony of a joint venture for a publishing project and integrity value implementation (anti-corruption) programme between the MACC and the Malaysian Institute of Translation and Books at the World Trade Centre.
Also in attendance was Education director general Azman Adnan.
On Tuesday, a managing director of a real estate company was detained by the MACC to assist in an investigation into a case involving the subdivision of Malay reserve land, covering about 650 hectares, to non-Malays in Mukim Manjong, Setiawan, Perak.
It is understood that the 44-year-old suspect's company is believed to be involved in breaking up Malay reserve land lots into non-Malay lots, and selling them as house and bungalow lots.
The MACC investigation also found a total of 317 subdivision titles or lots from the 650 hectares of Malay reserve land, the ownership of which was changed.
The detention followed the arrest of a former deputy registrar of titles at the Perak Land and Mines Office, who was charged in the Ipoh Sessions Court last month.