Civil society groups urge MACC and AGC to reveal status of investigation and confirm if implicated Environment Department chiefs have been suspended
PETALING JAYA: Two NGOs have called on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) to provide clarity on investigations into top officials of the Environment Department (DOE) over alleged corruption in e-waste management.
MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki had said the MACC detained the department’s director-general and deputy director-general after they voluntarily presented themselves at the commission’s Putrajaya headquarters on Jan 29.
The NGOs pointed out that since then no further information had been made public, and it remains unclear whether the officials have been suspended while the investigation continues.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia and the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism have called for immediate transparency.
“The MACC and AGC must disclose the current status of matters, including when the officials will be charged.
“Allowing them to continue in office raises serious issues over evidence tampering and compromises prosecution efforts,” they said in a joint statement.
The NGOs also urged the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry to clarify what administrative measures had been taken to prevent conflicts of interest or further abuse of power during the ongoing probe.
“Regular updates must be provided to the public to reinforce confidence in Malaysia’s anti-corruption and environmental protection institutions.”
The probe reportedly stems from suspected systemic irregularities in the management of e-waste, which is critical to both environmental protection and public health.
Media reports indicate that, as of early February 2026, MACC had frozen 16 bank accounts holding RM10.2 million, along with another RM1 million in related corporate and individual accounts.
Cash totalling over RM170,000 and valuables worth RM220,000 were also seized.
In early March, MACC submitted investigation papers to the DPP with a recommendation to formally charge the officials.