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SANDAKAN: A community development officer has been remanded for seven days, from Friday until May 1, to assist in the investigation of a RM40,000 corruption case linked to the Rumah Mesra Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) project.

The remand order was issued by Judge Zaini Fishir against the male suspect, in his 50s, following an application made by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at the Sessions Court here, Friday.

According to sources, the man was arrested around 2pm on Thursday while providing a statement at the MACC Sandakan branch office.

The suspect is believed to have accepted a bribe between 2022 and 2025 as an inducement to award the house construction project to several individuals and contractors.

Sabah MACC Director Datuk S. Karunanithy confirmed the arrest when contacted by reporters, saying the case is being investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.

The Rumah Mesra SMJ is a Sabah government initiative aimed at assisting low-income earners, particularly those in the B40 group, by providing free houses valued at approximately RM80,000 per unit.