MATF Achieves Greater Success In 2025 With Seizures Exceeding RM960 Million - Azam

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 22 (Bernama) -- The Multi-Agency Task Force (MATF) has recorded strong achievements in the third quarter of this year, with successful operations and seizures valued at RM960.73 million - a notable rise compared to RM705.55 million in the same period last year.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner and MATF deputy chairman Tan Sri Azam Baki said the nearly 36 per cent increase demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated enforcement efforts in curbing corruption, smuggling, and money laundering.

“In 2024, MATF arrested 34 civil servants and 27 civilians, with 25 of the civil servants facing 352 corruption charges, while eight others were subjected to disciplinary action,” he said.

“This year, greater success was achieved through six major operations conducted in collaboration with the Inland Revenue Board (IRB), Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (Customs Department), and CyberSecurity Malaysia,” he said at a special press conference at the MACC headquarters here today.

He said operations carried out in 2025 included Op White (misappropriation of government contracts for milk powder worth RM174.7 million), Op Kingfruit (durian investment fraud amounting to RM16.15 million in Raub), Op X (cryptocurrency fraud worth RM28.6 million), Op Sikaro (cigarette and tobacco smuggling valued at RM218 million), Op Metal (iron and e-waste smuggling worth RM332.5 million), and Op Karen (diesel and petrol smuggling amounting to RM190.8 million).

“As the lead agency of MATF, the MACC will continue to strengthen intelligence, investigations, and cooperation with both domestic and international counterparts, including efforts to ensure that recovered assets are channelled into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) Recovery Trust Account,” he said.

“This achievement demonstrates that efforts to combat corruption and financial crimes are being carried out in an integrated, transparent, and effective manner, with the ultimate goal of returning the people’s money to the government,” he said.

MATF was established in 2018 by the Malaysian government in response to the 1MDB scandal, with the key objective of tracking, freezing, and seizing assets acquired illegally through corruption or money laundering.

Led by the MACC, the MATF brings together a coalition of key government agencies, including the Attorney General’s Chambers, BNM, the Royal Malaysia Police, the IRB, the Customs Department, and the Ministry of Finance, to coordinate investigations, legal action, and asset recovery.

-- BERNAMA