PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) wants the law governing the mechanism for Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPA) to be tabled as soon as possible.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki expressed hope it could be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat during its second session in 2026, saying the proposed mechanism is currently at its final stage with the Attorney General's Chambers.
He said it was important to ensure the country had a more effective mechanism to recover assets from criminals.
"The asset recovery under the DPA framework involves criminal offences, not ordinary business matters such as tax collection," he told a press conference at the MACC headquarters on Thursday (Jan 15).
Azam said the DPA covered criminal offences, citing environmental pollution as an example.
"One of the key advantages of a DPA is that companies involved would be held accountable for remediation and compensation.
"Companies involved are responsible for restoring the affected river at their own cost," he added.
Azam said companies would also be required to compensate victims who suffered injuries as a result of the offence, in addition to paying penalties to the government based on a settlement agreed upon between the Attorney General's Chambers and the offending party.
