A STATE assemblyman and a businessman bearing a Datuk title have been released on bail following their arrests in connection with a RM200,000 bribery case tied to mining licence approvals in Sabah — the latest twist in a scandal that is fast ballooning into one of the most politically explosive probes in recent times.
The two suspects — believed to be in their 30s and 60s — were detained separately this morning after being summoned to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) offices in Kota Kinabalu and Putrajaya.
The assemblyman, identified earlier by Info X as Sindumin rep Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob, was questioned at the MACC’s Sabah office for nearly four hours before being released at 12.30pm on a bail of RM50,000 with one surety. He is currently the chairman of state investment arm Qhazanah Sabah.
The other suspect, a well-connected businessman, was held at the commission’s Putrajaya headquarters and later released on a bail of RM100,000 with two local sureties.
Both are being investigated under Section 16(b)(A) of the MACC Act 2009 for allegedly soliciting and receiving bribes — believed to involve RM200,000 in exchange for facilitating exploration licence applications in Sabah during the years 2023 and 2024.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed the arrests when contacted and indicated that the case is still under active investigation.
“One of them, a businessman, was released after his statement was recorded on a RM100,000 bail. The assemblyman was similarly released with RM50,000 bail,” Azam said.
But while the key suspects walk free — at least for now — it is the fate of the whistleblower who triggered the entire probe that has sparked controversy.
According to his lawyer Mahajoth Singh, the whistleblower is now slated to be charged on June 30 — a move Mahajoth described as both “shocking and disappointing.”
“When we arrived at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya this afternoon, we were informed that there were new instructions from the top — my client will now be charged,” he was reported saying.
The reversal has cast a pall over the ongoing investigation and raised questions about the treatment of informants, especially those who risk political and personal backlash to expose high-level graft.
As the saga unfolds, all eyes are on whether the so-called “orange parade” — a colloquial reference to public appearances of suspects in MACC’s signature lockup attire — will eventually extend to sitting government figures, or remain reserved for opposition-linked politicians.
Dr Yusof, a former education minister, is widely seen as part of the GRS establishment. His anticipated court appearance at the end of this month may mark a turning point in how far-reaching the corruption dragnet is willing — or allowed — to go. - June 18, 2025
