THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has broadened its investigation into alleged corruption in military procurement, intensifying scrutiny of defence contracts and financial transactions linked to projects awarded over the past three years.
The probe, which began on December 23, has entered a new phase with investigators summoning witnesses and analysing banking records amid allegations that a senior armed forces officer may have received illicit payments connected to defence contracts.
Sources said three individuals were called in yesterday to record their statements as part of the expanding investigation.
Preliminary findings show that between 2023 and 2025, a total of 158 military procurement projects valued at more than RM500,000 were awarded, alongside a further 4,521 projects valued below that amount.
“Preliminary checks found that several companies repeatedly secured high-value contracts, which raises suspicion,” a source said, adding that a detailed profiling of the companies involved has yet to be carried out.
The investigation gathered momentum after MACC received a complaint and recorded a statement from Bersatu Port Dickson chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin, also known as Chegubard, who visited the commission’s headquarters in Putrajaya.
Badrul Hisham alleged that unusually large cash flows had been detected in the bank accounts of a senior armed forces officer and members of his family, with the funds believed to have originated from companies awarded military procurement projects.
Referring to forensic audit documents he said were received anonymously, he claimed the officer received between RM50,000 and RM60,000 each month, with additional transfers amounting to hundreds of thousands of ringgit deposited into accounts linked to the officer. He further alleged that the funds were channelled directly from companies that had secured defence contracts.
In response to these allegations, MACC officers visited the Defence Ministry earlier this week to obtain procurement documents for an initial review. Investigators are focusing on projects awarded from 2023 onwards, particularly those conducted through open tenders and procurement managed under military responsibility centres.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed that an investigation paper has been opened under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009, which deals with bribery offences. He stressed that the investigation is being conducted independently and professionally, based strictly on evidence and established facts.
“At the moment, we can see several transactions involving deposits into the account of a senior officer from the armed forces.
“We are reviewing these transactions before taking further action to summon any witnesses to give their statements,” he said, as quoted by Astro Awani.
Azam said several witnesses are expected to be called in the near term, possibly as early as tomorrow, to provide explanations regarding the financial transactions identified through bank records.
“I expect several witnesses will be called in the near future, possibly tomorrow, to initially respond to some of the financial transactions we have obtained from the bank,” he said.
He added that MACC officers had taken proactive steps by randomly obtaining defence procurement documents covering the 2023 to 2025 period, with financial analysis currently under way.
The analysis, Azam noted, is expected to be completed within two to three days, subject to the availability of court documents required to finalise the investigation. - December 25, 2025
