KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has seized assets valued at more than RM31.4 billion over the past five years, with nearly RM28 billion successfully forfeited to the government.
The assets were recovered from investigations into smuggling syndicates, fund misappropriation, and luxury goods obtained through criminal activities. These included properties, cash, high-end vehicles, branded watches, and designer handbags.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki credited the achievement to a series of investigation operations that dismantled corruption and money laundering networks while reclaiming misappropriated national wealth.
“In the past five years, MACC has seized assets worth over RM31.4 billion and forfeited close to RM28 billion. This includes major operations such as Op Metal, which recovered more than RM183 million from a steel smuggling syndicate,” he said in a statement today.
Other notable recoveries included RM620 million in property tied to a fibre network project and RM32 million in luxury items — among them 217 watches and 27 handbags — seized from the home of a “Tan Sri.” In a separate case involving misused highway construction funds, MACC confiscated over RM36 million in cash, luxury cars, and bank accounts.
Azam emphasised the key role of MACC’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Division in recovering and forfeiting both movable and immovable properties obtained through crime.
“This effort not only returns assets to the nation but, more importantly, helps restore public trust in the country’s enforcement agencies. Our operations send a clear message — crime does not pay,” he said.
However, he noted that disposing of forfeited immovable assets remains a challenge due to complex legal procedures, lengthy appeals, and disputes.
Currently, MACC is managing 41 properties awaiting disposal, hindered by the absence of a uniform mechanism and dedicated funding for maintenance and legal expenses.
