MACC reportedly arrests director of advertising agency as probe continues

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has reportedly arrested a director of an advertising agency due to suspicions of soliciting and accepting a bribe of RM 92,500.

The bribe was allegedly in return for the appointment of a sub-contractor for the installation and maintenance of billboards around Paka in 2020.

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The suspect is believed to have received a bribe from the owner of a company for a RM2.5 million project, according to Bernama.

While the project may not exist, the money was received by the suspect through a third-party account, added the report. The subject and their middleman have been arrested at their residences.

MACC director Hazrul Shazreen Abd Yazid also confirmed the arrests and said the investigation was being carried out under the MACC Act 2009, according to media reports.

The Malaysian ad scene has been in a frenzy over the last few weeks after the MACC launched an investigation into a 2022 'Keluarga Malaysia' campaign for alleged corruption links to the former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

With intense scrutiny being placed on a major government campaign, adland players in Malaysia have certainly been made to think more about accountability in public fund spending, particularly when it comes to government ad campaigns.

According to Ashvin Anamalai, chief executive officer of DNA Creative Communications, the case raises serious concerns about accountability in public fund spending. He added that transparency is paramount when utilising any amount of public funding for advertising and promotions, particularly during times of public vulnerability.

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