KUALA LUMPUR – The three individuals including two aides to the human resources minister who were arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to assist with investigations into alleged corruption involving a migrant-worker recruitment contract will be released today.
An agency source told The Vibes their release is due to the expiration of their remand orders, which will end this evening.
“They will be released after their remand ends today,” the source said in a brief message.
Two of them are senior aides to Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar – his private secretary and special functions officer – who were detained by MACC as part of its ongoing probe into the recruitment of migrant workers.
A third individual is believed to be a migrant-worker recruitment agent.
The special functions officer was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport around 1am on Wednesday, together with the recruitment agent, after they arrived from Bangkok.
The following day, MACC officers proceeded to raid the Human Resources Ministry.
Sivakumar’s private secretary was then arrested on Friday.
Asked if further arrests will be made in the coming days, the source said they did not have such information at the moment.
Multiple news reports have claimed that Sivakumar has since suspended the two aides with immediate effect amid the ongoing investigation.
The minister gave his statement to MACC yesterday.
Earlier today, he refuted media articles claiming his house was raided by the anti-graft body following his questioning yesterday.
Sinar Harian had quoted a source as saying that the raid was in relation to allegations that the DAP lawmaker had accepted millions of ringgit from an individual in return for guaranteeing a government contract. – The Vibes, April 17, 2023
