-min.png)
Four enforcement assistants from the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) have been charged in the Sessions Court with accepting bribes amounting to RM39,750. The accused, Rahi Shamudin Ishak, 51; Mat Hafizan Abdullah, 42; Ahmad Shahremy Ahmad Damanhuri, 40; and Mohd Sufian Hashim, 38, pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were read separately before Judge Datuk Anita Harun.
Rahi faces 42 counts of accepting bribes ranging from RM400 to RM2,000 between December 1, 2017, and April 4, 2023. Mat Hafizan is charged with four counts of accepting bribes totalling RM300 between July 3, 2020, and June 3, 2021. Ahmad Shahremy faces a single count of accepting an RM5,000 bribe on May 4, 2018. Mohd Sufian is charged with two counts of accepting bribes of RM850 and RM400 on June 30, 2018, and April 24, 2023, respectively.
The alleged offences took place at various bank branches, including those located at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Sepang, Taman Sri Serdang, and Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi. The four men are accused of accepting bribes from the owner of Kalos Enterprise, a 38-year-old, through online transfers to avoid inspecting the company’s cargo trucks departing from KLIA Cargo.
The charges fall under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 [Act 694]. This section stipulates severe penalties for corruption, including a maximum imprisonment of 20 years and a fine as specified under Section 24(1) of the same act. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) continues to clamp down on corruption within government departments to maintain integrity and public trust.
This case underscores the ongoing challenges in combating corruption within governmental bodies, highlighting the necessity for stringent enforcement of anti-corruption laws. The proceedings against these four enforcement assistants demonstrate the judiciary’s commitment to upholding transparency and accountability in the public sector. The outcome of this case will likely serve as a crucial reference for similar future cases, reinforcing the message that corruption will not be tolerated in any form.
Evon Anak Jerim is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.