Malaysian anti-corruption body offers to pay for witness’s flight in chips probe

Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency on Wednesday offered to pay for the flight of a London-based key witness to help with its investigation into possible corruption linked to a US$250 million deal signed last year between the government and British chip design firm Arm Holdings.The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has for the past month been on the hunt for former government aide James Chai, whom it said was a key witness in its probe on possible abuse of power, fraud and governance failures in the multimillion-dollar deal meant to accelerate the country’s ambitions to break into the lucrative segment of high-end chip design and manufacturing.The commission said Chai, who served as an aide to former economy minister Rafizi Ramli, had twice failed to make the necessary arrangements to fly from London, where he was currently living and working, to Malaysia for questioning at its headquarters in the administrative capital of Putrajaya.“Accordingly, MACC has issued a letter today requiring him to attend within two weeks, and has also expressed its willingness to bear the cost of his return flight to Malaysia to assist with the investigation,” the commission said in a statement.“Should he continue to fail to attend after being granted two extensions, the commission will consider seeking cooperation through international channels, including Interpol or foreign enforcement agencies, to locate him and ensure his attendance.”The Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) building in Putrajaya. The agency is investigating possible abuse of power, fraud and governance failures over the US$250 million deal with Arm Holdings. Photo: EPA-EFEThe investigation into the Arm deal is the latest under a high-profile anti-corruption dragnet launched in 2024 by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as part of his pledge to stamp out what he had described as widespread corruption involving the country’s rich and powerful.