MACC confirms arrest of pro-Perikatan researcher who linked its investigators to bribery attempt in plot against Muhyiddin

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 — Political researcher Shafiq Abdul Halim has been arrested for blocking the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s investigations, its chief Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed today.

Azam told a news conference in Putrajaya that Shafiq was arrested yesterday under Section 48 of the MACC Act 2009, news portal Free Malaysia Today reported this afternoon.

“He came to our headquarters after being summoned and was arrested at 3.30pm yesterday,” Azam was quoted as saying.

It was unclear if Azam disclosed which MACC case Shafiq was accused of obstructing as he was only reported saying that the researcher’s claim had damaged the commission’s reputation.

Shafiq was described by the news portal as working for Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan, who yesterday stepped down from his position as Bersatu information chief following his bribery charges two days ago.

Shafiq had previously accused MACC investigators of offering Wan Saiful a RM10 million bribe in a plot to implicate Bersatu president and former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Wan Saiful was charged with two counts of bribery — one for soliciting an unspecified amount and the second for receiving a RM6.9 million bribe — from a private company linked to the Jana Wibawa Bumiputera programme introduced by the Muhyiddin administration, but claimed trial.

Shafiq has since apologised for his TikTok video post in which he purportedly made the remark and claimed he did not mean to accuse anyone.

In a Facebook post yesterday, he added that the video had been edited by pro-Pakatan Harapan cybertroopers.