KOTA KINABALU: A state civil servant has been arrested by graft investigators on suspicion of taking up to RM3,000 bribes to award a Sabah Maju Jaya Affordable Housing Project to a construction company.
The civil servant in his 40s was detained at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Sabah headquarters here at around 12.40pm on Wednesday while giving his statement to the investigators, sources said.
Sources said the suspect is alleged to have solicited and received about RM3,000 in bribes for awarding the housing project to the contractor sometime 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.
This is the second arrest this week involving the state government’s affordable housing project officially called Rumah Mesra Sabah Maju Jaya, an initiative launched in Sept 2022 to provide affordable, inclusive housing for low- and middle-income families across Sabah.
On Feb 23, MACC officers in Sandakan arrested a 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 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.
