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NINE additional individuals are set to be charged in court by the end of September as part of an expanding investigation into corruption and money laundering surrounding the stalled MEX II highway extension project.
“This group is believed to have been involved in financial transactions linked to Tan Sri Abu Sahid Mohamed,” said Tan Sri Azam Baki, Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), at the agency’s headquarters on Monday. “We expect they will all be charged before the end of this month.”
The scandal centres around the MEX II extension, which was intended to connect Putrajaya with Kuala Lumpur International Airport but remains incomplete despite substantial funding. Abu Sahid, director of Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd, has already pleaded not guilty to four charges of criminal breach of trust involving RM313 million, and 13 counts of money laundering totalling RM139.2 million. He is expected to face an additional seven charges soon at the Shah Alam Sessions Court.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib confirmed that the upcoming charges against Abu Sahid will fall under Section 403 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 109, involving RM145 million in misappropriated funds.
Former construction executive Datuk Yap Wee Leong also faces 18 charges involving hundreds of millions of ringgit. Of these, nine are under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009 involving RM209 million, and nine more under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLATFPUAA 2001) involving RM387 million. Yap is further accused of using 17 false claims documents between June 2017 and April 2018.
Both cases are scheduled for mention on 3 November.
The MACC has already seized approximately RM32 million in assets from the suspects, including designer handbags, luxury watches, high-end vehicles, jewellery, and cash. A raid on one residence uncovered a private store stocked with luxury alcoholic beverages estimated at RM3 million, suspected to be linked to money laundering activities.
The MACC’s Strategic Communications Division confirmed that all seized items are under investigation pursuant to the MACC Act 2009 and AMLATFPUAA 2001.
Military Officers to be Charged Over Tobacco Smuggling Syndicate
In a separate but related corruption matter, four senior Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) officers are expected to be prosecuted following their arrests in a major anti-smuggling operation dubbed “Op Sohor”.
“Investigations have been completed and the cases referred to the Deputy Public Prosecutor. A decision has been made to prosecute four of them,” said Tan Sri Azam Baki on Tuesday.
A fifth officer will be referred to the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) for possible disciplinary or court-martial proceedings. Six civilians arrested in connection with the case remain under prosecutorial review.
According to MACC, the operation uncovered a network of serving and former ATM intelligence officers based in southern Malaysia, who are believed to have colluded with smugglers over a five-year period. The syndicate allegedly trafficked contraband tobacco, cigarettes and cigars, bypassing military surveillance using leaked operational intelligence.
“The issue of leaked security information is a serious matter,” Azam said. “There have been discussions with the Defence Minister and the Chief of Defence Forces. MINDEF is cooperating closely on this to ensure such breaches are prevented in future.”
The 11 arrests — five officers and six civilians — were carried out across the Klang Valley in a joint operation with the MACC Intelligence Division and the Anti-Corruption Tactical Squad (ACTS). Among those detained was an Indonesian national aged between 30 and 55.
Initial investigations suggest the syndicate collected over RM3 million in bribes during the period, with each smuggling operation yielding illegal profits of between RM30,000 and RM50,000 per officer. The contraband haul was estimated to be worth up to RM5 million per month.
MACC has pledged to work with MINDEF to ensure further breaches within the military are promptly addressed. - September 9, 2025