KOTA KINABALU: Graft investigators have arrested a civil servant suspected of abusing his power to recommend two unqualified family members for the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Affordable Housing Scheme.
Sources said the suspect, a man in his 50s, was arrested while giving a statement at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Sandakan office.
Investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly committed the act in 2022, recommending his in-laws for the housing scheme despite them not meeting the eligibility criteria.
The houses, built in the names of his father-in-law and brother-in-law, were completed in 2023 but remain unoccupied as of 2025, raising concerns about the recipients' eligibility and the housing programme's integrity.
Sabah MACC director Mohd Fuad Bee Basrah confirmed the arrest on Monday (Feb 23).
He said the case is being investigated under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009, and the suspect is expected to be charged in the Sandakan Magistrate's Court soon.
