KUALA LUMPUR (March 6): James Chai Jin Shern, a former aide of Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, has appointed legal counsel to liase with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) regarding an ongoing investigation. He pointed out, however, that he has yet to receive any formal notice from the MACC on the issue.

In a press statement issued on Friday, Chai said his the first direct communication from individuals claiming to represent the MACC occurred late on Thursday (March 5) via two WhatsApp messages. He said this was the first time he had been contacted through any channel that explicitly mentioned the commission.

According to screenshots included in Chai's statement, the WhatsApp messages were sent from accounts with the usernames “~Radio” and “~??? ????”. Both accounts sent identical messages — albeit under different officers' names — requesting that he provide a statement.

"Prior to these messages, I have not received any form of communication with the explicit mention of MACC nor any form of formal notice," he said, adding he had been waiting for official notice from the agency before making arrangements to testify.

The timeline he provided contradicts the MACC's account. The agency maintained that officers attempted to reach Chai via WhatsApp as early as Feb 24 after tracing him to the UK, but received no response. The agency further alleged that Chai eventually blocked the investigating officer's number on Feb 26, which led to the issuance of a public search notice for him on Wednesday.

Chai, in his statement on Friday, said he routinely blocks unknown or suspicious numbers to avoid the prevalent threat of scams in Malaysia.

Chai, who is currently based in the UK, said he has engaged two lawyers to assist him in communicating with the MACC and coordinating the necessary arrangements.

He said he had passed to his lawyers the email address and contact numbers of the investigating officers listed in the commission’s latest statement. “Once again, I am ready to provide full cooperation to the MACC in a lawful and professional manner,” Chai said.

The statement follows an earlier statement by the MACC on the same day, which stated that Chai had yet to formally respond or make arrangements to meet investigators despite several attempts by officers to contact him regarding the probe.

Urging Chai to "immediately" present himself at its headquarters in Putrajaya to assist with the investigation, the commission stressed that cooperation with law enforcement authorities is a basic obligation, adding that "public narratives and media statements cannot replace the legal process of investigating cases".

The investigation focuses on a RM1.1 billion government agreement with UK-based semiconductor giant ARM Holdings plc.

Initiated during Rafizi's tenure as Economy Minister, the deal aimed to strengthen Malaysia’s semiconductor design capabilities and develop locally designed graphics processing unit (GPU) chips. Signed by the Malaysia Investment Development Authority (Mida), the 10-year agreement involves acquiring intellectual property licences and compute subsystems valued at US$250 million (about RM1.11 billion), while Arm is entitled to collect royalties on chips sold.

The probe began last month following reports of alleged misappropriation and "lopsided" terms. MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said on Wednesday the commission had called a former minister to provide a statement and questioned 12 witnesses from various government agencies. The agency has also obtained key documents from relevant ministries and reviewed Cabinet papers related to the agreement.

Chai had previously denied all allegations of misappropriation and abuse of power, criticising the MACC's public search notice to trace him had created the false impression that he was a fugitive.

Read also:
MACC urges Rafizi’s former aide to return for RM1.1 bil Arm deal probe, says public statements 'cannot replace' legal process
MACC refutes Chai's claims, says contact was attempted before issuing notice
Rafizi’s ex-aide denies wrongdoing, says MACC’s search notice an attempt to paint him as a fugitive
MACC probes Rafizi’s former aide over employment with firm linked to govt project