AI, intelligence-led probes and fair enforcement: MACC’s five priorities at 59

On its 59th anniversary, MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman emphasized the agency's commitment to uncompromising integrity, fair enforcement, proactive prevention, technology adoption, and transparency.

Noting the evolving nature of corruption, Abd Halim stressed the importance of adapting investigative strategies and leveraging technology, including artificial intelligence, to enhance efficiency and transparency.

The agency's recent focus has been on high-impact sectors, recording significant arrests and recoveries, while highlighting systemic reforms and public trust as measures of true success in combating corruption.

Established in 2009, MACC continues to lead Malaysia's anti-corruption efforts through strategic enforcement and prevention initiatives.

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 1 — Nearly six decades into its fight against corruption, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) continues to strengthen its strategies to ensure enforcement, prevention and integrity remain at the heart of its work.

As the agency marks its 59th anniversary today, MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman outlined five leadership priorities to guide his administration: uncompromising integrity, fair and equitable enforcement, proactive prevention, adopting technology, and transparency and public trust.

According to Abd Halim, the dynamic nature of corruption offenses requires MACC to remain agile in transforming and adapting its investigative approaches to meet the challenges of a new era.

“Integrity is the cornerstone of the fight against corruption and cannot be compromised under any circumstances, whether when making decisions, conducting investigations or carrying out our daily responsibilities,” he said in an interview in conjunction with MACC’s 59th anniversary.

He said the second pillar is reflected in MACC’s approach to fair enforcement, including its decision to suspend the practice of requiring individuals under probe to wear orange lock-up attire during remand proceedings in court, aimed at countering negative perceptions of those who have yet to be charged.

“For MACC, firm enforcement does not mean disregarding the principles of justice. We can take a firm stand against corruption while at the same time respecting the rights, dignity and due process of every individual under investigation,” he said.

On the third pillar, Abd Halim stressed MACC’s priority of reinforcing proactive prevention by identifying systemic weaknesses and closing loopholes before corruption takes root, particularly through the Governance Investigation Division (BPT).

He said the BPT’s role, under Sections 7(c), (d) and (e) of the MACC Act 2009, includes reviewing the practices, systems and procedures of public bodies, as well as advising relevant parties on measures to mitigate corruption risks.

“At the same time, MACC has enhanced enforcement by moving beyond simply waiting for reports and adopting a more proactive approach through Intelligence-Based Investigation (IBI) to detect and uncover corruption. We want to act before problems escalate,” he said.

Addressing the fourth pillar, Abd Halim said MACC is focusing on technology, digitalisation, data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to boost operational efficiency and improve transparency in investigations.

He said the move reflects a shift to a more proactive enforcement approach, with MACC moving away from simply waiting for complaints and instead acting swiftly through IBI.

“Combining data analytics, AI and digital systems helps investigators process large volumes of information more quickly, including identifying anomalies, tracing financial flows and detecting links that may be difficult to uncover through conventional methods,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said MACC’s operations this year are focused on four high-impact sectors: government procurement, enforcement agencies, public funds or special allocations, and government revenue and income.

He said MACC received 5,239 reports and opened 842 investigation papers between January and Aug 31, leading to 803 arrests involving 428 private-sector individuals and 311 civil servants, adding that the cases included 352 for receiving bribes, 278 for submitting false claims and 78 for offering bribes.

“Between January and July 31, MACC also recorded a total of RM55,314,743 through forfeitures, compounds, settlements, asset freezes and seizures,” he said.

However, he stressed that statistics alone do not determine MACC’s success, saying its real impact lay in bringing offenders to justice, recovering funds lost through leakages and closing gaps in the system.

Referring to high-profile cases involving 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and SRC International, Abd Halim said the investigations have expanded the agency’s expertise in financial forensics, cross-border investigations and asset recovery.

“As of last year, MACC had recovered RM31.3 billion, or 74.5 per cent, of the RM42 billion in 1MDB funds that were misappropriated,” he said.

He said other high-impact operations have also exposed various forms of corruption, including a ‘counter setting’ syndicate, Op Parasit, delays in padi fertiliser distribution in Kedah, the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into Tabung Haji, and Retirement Fund Incorporated’s (KWAP) RM200 million investment in eFishery.

He said enforcement action must be followed by systemic reforms, stronger internal controls, improved procedures and greater accountability to ensure every case uncovered serves as a lesson for the country.

“MACC’s true success is not merely measured by its ability to uncover cases, but by whether the outcome helps narrow opportunities for corruption, strengthen systems and boost public confidence in the country’s institutions,” he said.

Established in January 2009 under the MACC Act 2009, MACC replaced the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) and serves as the country’s sole independent body leading anti-corruption prevention and enforcement efforts. — Bernama

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在马来西亚反贪污委员会成立 59 周年之际，首席专员拿督斯里阿卜杜勒·哈利姆·阿曼强调了该机构对毫不妥协的诚信、公平执法、积极预防、技术应用和透明度的承诺。

阿卜杜勒·哈利姆指出腐败的性质不断演变，强调必须调整调查策略并利用包括人工智能在内的技术来提高效率和透明度。

该机构近期重点关注高影响力领域，取得了显著的逮捕和追回成果，同时强调系统性改革和公众信任是衡量反腐败真正成功的标准。

马来西亚反贪污委员会成立于2009年，通过战略性的执法和预防举措，继续引领马来西亚的反贪污工作。

布城，10月1日讯——马来西亚反贪污委员会（MACC）在打击贪污的斗争中已持续近六十年，并不断加强其战略，以确保执法、预防和廉洁始终是其工作的核心。

今天是马来西亚反贪污委员会成立 59 周年之际，该委员会首席专员拿督斯里阿卜杜勒·哈利姆·阿曼概述了指导其行政工作的五项领导重点：毫不妥协的诚信、公平公正的执法、积极主动的预防、采用科技以及透明度和公众信任。

阿卜杜勒·哈利姆表示，贪污犯罪的动态特性要求马来西亚反贪污委员会保持灵活，不断转变和调整其调查方法，以应对新时代的挑战。

“诚信是反腐败斗争的基石，在任何情况下都不能妥协，无论是在做决定、进行调查还是履行我们的日常职责时，”他在配合反贪污委员会成立59周年而接受采访时表示。

他表示，第二个支柱体现在反贪污委员会公平执法的方针中，包括暂停要求被调查人员在法庭还押程序中穿橙色囚服的做法，旨在消除对尚未被起诉者的负面看法。

“对反贪污委员会而言，严厉执法并不意味着漠视正义原则。我们可以在坚决打击腐败的同时，尊重每一位受调查者的权利、尊严和正当程序，”他说道。

在第三支柱方面，阿卜杜勒·哈利姆强调，反贪污委员会的首要任务是加强主动预防，通过识别系统性弱点和堵住漏洞，防止腐败扎根，特别是通过治理调查部门（BPT）。

他表示，根据 2009 年反贪污委员会法令第 7(c)、(d) 和 (e) 条，反贪污委员会的职责包括审查公共机构的做法、制度和程序，以及就减轻腐败风险的措施向相关各方提供建议。

“与此同时，反贪污委员会已加强执法力度，不再仅仅等待举报，而是采取更积极主动的方式，通过情报调查（IBI）来发现和揭露腐败行为。我们希望在问题升级之前采取行动，”他说道。

阿卜杜勒·哈利姆在谈到第四大支柱时表示，反贪污委员会正着力利用科技、数字化、数据分析和人工智能（AI）来提高运营效率和提升调查透明度。

他表示，此举反映出反贪污委员会正在转向更加积极主动的执法方式，不再只是等待投诉，而是通过内部调查局迅速采取行动。

他说：“将数据分析、人工智能和数字系统结合起来，可以帮助调查人员更快地处理大量信息，包括识别异常情况、追踪资金流动以及检测通过传统方法可能难以发现的联系。”

与此同时，他表示，反贪污委员会今年的行动重点是四个高影响力领域：政府采购、执法机构、公共资金或特别拨款以及政府收入。

他表示，反贪污委员会在1月至8月31日期间共收到5239份举报，并立案调查842份，导致803人被捕，其中428人为私营部门人士，311人为公务员。他还补充说，这些案件包括352起受贿案、278起提交虚假索赔案和78起行贿案。

“从1月到7月31日，反贪污委员会还通过没收、罚款、和解、资产冻结和扣押等方式，共计追回了55,314,743令吉的款项，”他说。

然而，他强调，仅凭统计数据并不能决定反贪污委员会的成功，其真正的影响在于将违法者绳之以法、追回因漏洞而损失的资金以及填补系统中的漏洞。

阿卜杜勒·哈利姆在谈到涉及一马发展有限公司（1MDB）和SRC国际公司的高调案件时表示，这些调查扩大了该机构在金融取证、跨境调查和资产追回方面的专业知识。

他说：“截至去年，反贪污委员会已追回被挪用的1MDB资金中的313亿令吉，即420亿令吉中的74.5%。”

他表示，其他一些影响巨大的行动也揭露了各种形式的腐败，包括“反操纵”集团、Op Parasit行动、吉打州稻米肥料分发延误、对朝圣基金局（Tabung Haji）的皇家调查委员会（RCI）以及退休基金公司（KWAP）对eFishery的2亿令吉投资。

他表示，执法行动之后必须进行系统性改革，加强内部控制，改进程序，提高问责制，以确保每个被揭露的案件都能成为国家的教训。

他说：“反贪污委员会的真正成功不仅仅取决于它发现案件的能力，还取决于其结果是否有助于减少腐败的机会、加强制度并提高公众对国家机构的信心。”

马来西亚反贪污委员会（MACC）于2009年1月根据《2009年反贪污委员会法令》成立，取代了原反贪污署（ACA），是马来西亚唯一独立的反贪污机构，负责领导反贪污的预防和执法工作。——马新社

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