Two men in their 50s and 60s were arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on September 6 at its Putrajaya headquarters for questioning over alleged misappropriation, abuse of power, and corruption involving land sales by a statutory body linked to the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
One of the suspects holds the title "Datuk" and is identified as a former senior official of the Felda-linked statutory body, described by sources as either a former general manager or director-general [1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. The two men reportedly arrived at the MACC around 4 p.m. to give statements when they were arrested [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
They are alleged to have abused their power by appointing a developer company for a Kuala Lumpur project and approving the sale of land to a company linked to that developer without the knowledge or approval of the statutory body's board of directors or its subsidiary [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman said the investigation is being conducted under Section 16 of the MACC Act 2009, which addresses offences related to gratification as an inducement or reward. Conviction under this section can lead to imprisonment up to 20 years and a fine of at least five times the value of the gratification involved or RM10,000, whichever is higher [1, 3]. He stated, "The case is being investigated under Section 16 of the MACC Act 2009," and further clarified on the penalties under Section 24 of the Act [1, 3].
The former Felda-linked official was brought before the Putrajaya Magistrate's Court on September 7 for a remand application linked to the abuse of power and irregular land sale investigation. He was remanded for five days starting September 7 to assist with ongoing investigations [8, 9].
The probe is part of a larger MACC operation named "Felda Operation," targeting allegations of misappropriation, corruption, and abuse of power involving Felda and its subsidiaries during 2010 to 2020 [9]. So far, 12 people have been summoned to assist the investigations, and seven prior Felda-related cases have been reopened based on new information [3, 4].
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said earlier that issues involving a Felda subsidiary would be exposed within weeks to identify institutional weaknesses, signaling continued government scrutiny [3, 4].
Investigations and remand proceedings for the suspects are ongoing as authorities gather further evidence.
