KUALA LUMPUR: Former special functions officer to ex-economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, James Chai, denies that he is in hiding after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) issued a public notice seeking information on his whereabouts.
Chai, whose full name is Chai Jin Shern, said he had never been contacted directly by the MACC through any reasonable channel before the notice was made public.
“I am not in hiding, I am not a fugitive,” he said in a statement Wednesday (March 4).
Earlier, the MACC said it was tracking down Chai to assist in an investigation and also listed his last known address.
Chai, meanwhile, criticised the decision to publicise his family home address, saying it unnecessarily exposed his parents to risk and harassment.
“Instead of using obvious channels, MACC chose to issue a public ‘search’ notice as if I have absconded, and to disclose my family home address in Shah Alam, where my parents currently reside, exposing them to unnecessary risk and public harassment,” he said.
He said he remains contactable and is currently based in the United Kingdom, where he works in the field of artificial intelligence policy and risk.
“If MACC genuinely wishes to obtain my cooperation, they can easily reach me through proper means. I remain contactable via email, social media, former colleagues in government, and professional networks. My whereabouts are hardly a secret,” he said.
Chai, who served in Rafizi’s office between 2023 and 2025, stressed that he was a policy officer and not a decision-maker over public funds.
“I was a policy officer, not a minister, not a signatory to government contracts, and not a beneficiary of public funds,” he said.
“I deny any allegation of misappropriation, abuse of power, or personal enrichment in relation to my time in government,” he said.
Chai said he was prepared to cooperate with the authorities if the investigation was conducted professionally and in good faith.
“If this investigation is conducted professionally, fairly, and in good faith, I am prepared to cooperate through proper legal channels, with the advice of my lawyers, and with due regard to my safety and that of my family,” he said.
Chai maintained that he led a modest life and did not profit from his time in government, saying he took a 50% pay cut and rejected a higher-paying job abroad to join the administration.
