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PARTI Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) has called on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to prioritise investigations into suspicious activities involving foreign worker agents and Immigration Department personnel at the country's entry points, rather than detaining a journalist who reported on the issue.
PAS Secretary-General Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan argued that if the media reports are true, the matter has the potential to pose far more serious and dangerous threats to the nation's security and economy than the alleged criminal extortion involving the journalist.
“PAS believes it would be more appropriate for MACC to focus on investigating the media reports regarding suspicious activities involving foreign worker agents and Immigration Department staff at the country’s entry points, rather than detaining the journalist who reported the corruption allegations,” Sinar Harian cited Takiyuddin saying in a statement on Sunday.
He questioned the MACC's actions, stating that it was strange to act based solely on reports from interested parties and raised concerns about the motives, legal accuracy, and priority of such actions.
“It seems odd from several angles and needs to be looked into closely, particularly regarding the motive, its legal basis, and its priority,” he added.
On Friday, MACC detained a journalist from a local news portal to assist in an investigation into a corruption case at a hotel in Shah Alam at around 11 p.m.
MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki clarified that the arrest was related to allegations of corruption, not the journalist’s report on the issue of illegal foreign workers (PATI).
According to Azam, the journalist is suspected of demanding RM20,000 from a Pakistani foreign worker agent to suppress an article about PATI smuggling.
Takiyuddin further noted that misconduct involving immigration officers and foreign worker agents is not a new issue.
He pointed out that during a special MACC operation across several states, including Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Pahang, and Kelantan, over RM1 million in cash and assets such as gold bars, watches, cars, motorcycles, and mobile phones had been seized.
He argued that if the journalist’s alleged criminal extortion was proven true, it should be reported to the police for investigation under the Penal Code, not handled by MACC under the Anti-Corruption Act.
“If the media report is false or defamatory, shouldn’t the affected parties seek legal protection through civil or criminal action, instead of lodging a report with MACC?” Takiyuddin questioned.
He also expressed concern about the "oddity" of the situation, suggesting that it could create a negative perception of MACC. “It could be seen as an attempt to silence the journalist and the media involved, thus serving the interests of the parties previously exposed,” he said.
Takiyuddin added such actions could undermine the role of journalists and the media as core institutions of democracy, fundamental to freedom of speech and public checks and balances. – March 2, 2025