KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysiakini journalist arrested yesterday was detained for allegedly receiving a RM20,000 bribe from a migrant workers’ agent, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said.
He confirmed this to Scoop when contacted today, adding that the journalist – B Nantha Kumar – was detained under Section 16 of the MACC Act 2009 for accepting the bribe.
“The complainant (agent) reported it to MACC when he was asked to bribe the journalist in return for not publishing an article on the illegal entry of migrant workers,” Azam said to Scoop.
Nantha Kumar, who was arrested at a hotel in Shah Alam at 11.45pm yesterday, was this morning remanded for four days starting today under the same section of the MACC Act for corruptly soliciting or accepting or agreeing to accept for himself or for any other person any gratification.
The remand order was granted to the MACC by the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court.
MACC in a press statement, said that Nantha Kumar was arrested in a “trap” set up by MACC officials at the Shah Alam hotel.
Elaborating on this Azam told Malaysiakini, that the agent was at the hotel to hand the cash over to the reporter.
“MACC officers arrested him at the location with the RM20,000,” Azam said.
Malaysiakini earlier this morning confirmed the journalist’s arrest and identified him as Nantha Kumar.
It was initially thought that the journalist had been arrested over his Feb 22 report alleging that a retired Immigration official had been facilitating syndicates to illegally bring in Pakistani migrant workers. – March 1, 2025