KOTA KINABALU: A state civil servant has been arrested by graft investigators on suspicion of taking up to RM3,000 in bribes to award a Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Affordable Housing Project to a construction company.
The suspect, in his 40s, was detained at the Sabah Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters here at around 12.40pm on Wednesday (Feb 26) while giving his statement to investigators, sources said.
The suspect is believed to have solicited and received about RM3,000 in bribes to award the housing project to the contractor in 2024.
"The suspect is alleged to have received the money through two online transfers into his personal account and his child’s account," the source said.
Sabah MACC director Datuk Mohd Fuad Bee Basrah confirmed the arrest when contacted and said the investigation was ongoing.
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He said the probe was being conducted under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009, and that the suspect would be released after his statement is recorded.
This is second arrest this week involving the state government’s project, officially called Rumah Mesra Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) – an initiative launched in September 2022 to provide affordable, inclusive housing for low- and middle-income families across Sabah.
On Monday (Feb 23), MACC officers in Sandakan arrested civil servant suspected of abusing his power to recommend two of his unqualified family members for the houses.
The suspect, in his 50s, allegedly committed the act in 2022, recommending his father-in-law and brother-in-law for the housing scheme in Sandakan even though they did not meet the eligibility criteria.
The two houses were completed in 2023 but remained unoccupied as of last year, raising concerns about the recipients' eligibility and the housing programme's integrity, the sources said.
