The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) opened five operations rooms across Johor to receive public complaints on corruption and abuse of power related to the 16th Johor state election. The rooms operate 24 hours daily from nomination day on June 27 until polling day on July 11 [1, 2, 3, 4].
The operations rooms are located at the MACC Johor office in Tampoi and branch offices in Batu Pahat, Kluang, Segamat, and Mersing. Complaints can also be submitted via email to [email protected] [1, 2, 3, 4]. MACC assured that all information will be investigated professionally and transparently under the MACC Act 2009 and the Election Offences Act 1954 (Amendment 2012) [1, 2, 3].
The Johor state election timeline includes nomination day on June 27, early voting on July 7, and polling day on July 11 [1, 2, 3, 5, 6]. To support media coverage, the Communications Ministry set up two media centres in Johor Bahru and Muar operating from June 26 until July 11 [5]. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will monitor internet connectivity at key locations to ensure smooth campaigning. Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said, "Good internet connectivity is an important element in ensuring that the campaign runs smoothly and effectively." [6]
The Malaysian Media Council launched Semak Berita, a verification platform to help the public identify AI-driven and other misinformation during the election. Chairperson Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan said the platform focuses on verifying whether content was genuinely published by the newsrooms, not adjudicating political claims [7].
Separately, the Sessions Court ordered the forfeiture of 23 Rolex watches and 15 pieces of jewellery seized by MACC from Nor Shahira Atirah Anuar @ Kamaruddin, sister-in-law of former army chief Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan, to the government. The court ruled on June 26 after no third party came forward to claim the assets. The watches are valued at about RM2 million, while the jewellery is worth RM225,000 [8, 9, 10, 11]. Deputy public prosecutor Mahadi Abdul Jumaat said, "The court has allowed the prosecution's application for forfeiture. However, no third party came forward to claim the assets." [9]
The prosecution applied for forfeiture under Section 41 of the MACC Act 2009 and Section 376 of the Criminal Procedure Code, alleging the assets were connected to offences under Section 165 of the Penal Code [8, 9, 10, 11]. As part of internal integrity restoration efforts, MACC under new chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abdul Halim Aman has instructed all officers to update their asset declarations within one month [12].
