Counter Setting Suspects Will Be Ordered To Declare Assets Azam

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Enforcement officers who were previously arrested as suspects in the “counter-setting” syndicate will be given notice to declare their assets, said MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki.
He said this will be done under Section 36 of the MACC Act 2008, following the confiscation of gold, luxury vehicles, cash, and bank accounts.
“The investigation is still ongoing to obtain evidence towards the charges under Sections 16 and 17 of the MACC Act, as well as the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing, and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
“The results of the investigation also found that apart from opening gold shops and buying gold, some enforcement officers were also detected using proxy accounts for the payment and storage of bribe money,” Harian Metro quoted him as saying today.
Azam added that the investigation will focus on detecting and seizing assets obtained through criminal proceeds.
On Sept 13, two Immigration Department officers were accused of turning corruption into a glittering side hustle - collecting bribes and allegedly opening a jewellery store stocked with gold worth RM1.4 million.
According to the MACC, the couple in their 40s were “key players” in a counter-setting syndicate that allowed undocumented foreigners to slip into Malaysia without proper procedures.
In a video posted on its official TikTok account today, MACC revealed that the duo had allegedly used illicit funds since 2020 to set up the jewellery store, using the wife’s sibling and their child as proxies. The shop reportedly had a starting capital of RM600,000.
MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Ahmad Khusairi YahayaMACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya said investigations found the couple had been involved in the government’s worker legalisation programme, which was meant to give employers a chance to obtain valid work permits for undocumented migrant workers.
He said the married couple pocketed RM150 per worker, with the balance allegedly distributed among other officers handling the files.
He also confirmed that during a raid at a jewellery store in Pahang, the MACC seized 3kg of gold worth about RM1.4 million.
Syndicate exploits loopholes
On Aug 23, Malaysiakini reported that the government’s efforts to eliminate syndicates related to the entry and exit of foreigners - especially via “counter-setting” - have instead led to the emergence of a new syndicate exploiting the autogate system.
The counter-setting syndicate refers to the unlawful clearance of individuals through immigration counters without proper procedures, particularly undocumented migrants in Malaysia.
According to sources, the new syndicate involves foreigners from visa-exempt countries - such as China - who exploit loopholes to overstay in Malaysia.
On Sept 19, immigration announced that it dismissed 20 officials who were found guilty of involvement in a “counter-setting” syndicate, while another 277 remained under investigation.
Immigration director-general chief Zakaria Shaaban told Berita Harian that the dismissals were enforced following court convictions, which confirmed the officers’ involvement in the crime. - Mkini

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