MBSA's Enforcement Division Director Arrested Over Gambling Den Protection Racket

The director, who is over 50 years old, was arrested at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya at 10am Friday, according to a report in Berita Harian.

The MBSA enforcement division's director's arrest was confirmed by MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Seri Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya, who said that the anti-graft agency will be taking the suspect to the Putrajaya Magistrate's Court on Saturday, 15 August to be remanded.

The anti-graft agency has arrested eight MBSA officers over the allegations.

According to Ahmad Khusairi, the arrested officers received bribes of RM300 to RM3,500 a month from several business premises in Sungai Buloh to run a protection racket for unlicensed food stalls, contraband cigarettes shops, and gambling dens. They would also sabotage planned operations by MBSA.

The arrests come after a senior police officer and the MBSA lodged reports against a man on the grounds that he was being defamatory by pointing out the authorities' alleged inaction against gambling dens.

The man, identified as 42-year-old Mohd Asri Hamid, had posted a video on Saturday, 8 August, along with a caption that read, "I might get killed for exposing this and if I do, I hope all of you will know who did it."

He then added, "Let me show you how the MBSA is biased, you can judge the integrity of the MBSA Sungai Buloh chief yourself." The video has since garnered over six million views.