PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission says its investigation into the alleged misappropriation of funds by the previous Perikatan Nasional-led (PN) government is focused on the RM92.5 billion the government actually spent on Covid-19 management measures.
In a statement, MACC said the finance ministry has provided it with details on the breakdown of the funds under the economic stimulus packages in 2020 and 2021 related to Covid-19 management.
“Initial investigations found that an estimated RM530 billion was allocated. Based on that amount, RM92.5 billion involved government funds while RM437.5 billion was not government funds.
“The focus of MACC’s investigation is on the RM92.5 billion. The finance ministry is detailing the breakdown and will submit it to MACC next week,” it said.
On Tuesday, MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said the agency had opened an investigation paper into the alleged misappropriation of RM600 billion in funds by the Muhyiddin Yassin-led administration.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim previously said the finance ministry had acknowledged several breaches involving the funds.
On Monday, Muhyiddin ridiculed the RM600 billion figure being thrown around by those in the government, saying he believed they were referring to the eight stimulus packages worth RM530 billion unveiled by him when he was prime minister.
He insisted that he had not misappropriated any of the funds and dismissed claims that there were leakages in the former PN government’s expenditure.
He said that the majority of the RM530 billion did not involve government expenditure, which included various Employees Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawal facilities, the reduction in EPF employee share statutory contribution rate, and loan moratoriums.
The PN chairman said his administration had only spent RM83 billion in fiscal injections up to June 2021, which he maintained was not misused. Muhyiddin resigned as prime minister in August 2021 after losing majority support.
