Comms Ministry ready to assist in MACC probe, says Fahmi

PUTRAJAYA: The Communications Ministry is ready to assist the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in its investigation into the RM700mil spent on promotions and publicity by the two previous administrations, says its minister Fahmi Fadzil.

“For investigative bodies, if the need arises, it is their right to conduct investigations, including into this ministry,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

However, Fahmi – also the unity government spokesman – said that so far, there has been no notification from the MACC requesting his ministry assist in the investigation, Bernama reported.

MACC senior director of investigations Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hashim was reported as saying earlier yesterday that the commission was currently investigating the government’s expenditure processes and procedures between 2020 and 2022, involving RM700mil allocated for promotional and publicity purposes.

The investigation was initiated based on preliminary information disclosed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in response to a question from Batu MP P. Prabakaran in the Dewan Rakyat last November.

Prabakaran had requested the Prime Minister disclose the total amount spent by the government on promotional and publicity work in showcasing the government’s achievements through all media platforms, including print, digital, and television, from 2020 until now.

Following that, Fahmi, in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), emphasised that the public has the right to know how the RM700mil for advertisements and publicity was spent by the previous two administrations.