KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 — Former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki was at Bukit Aman police headquarters today to give a statement over allegations by businessman Albert Tei that he had been threatened.

Azam said he arrived at about 9am and gave his full cooperation to investigators, Sinar Harian reported today.

“The statement-recording process took about two hours, during which I answered questions posed by officers from the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department,” he said when contacted today.

Azam said he denied all allegations made by Tei.

He also informed police that he had never met the businessman or conducted any dealings with him.

“I have also never sent any lawyer to meet any party on my behalf.

“I submitted evidence to the investigating officer showing that I have never met or dealt directly with Albert,” he said.

Police recently said Azam would be called in to assist investigations into Tei’s claim that he had been threatened.

Bukit Aman CID director Datuk M Kumar said Tei lodged the report on May 13.

He said the case is being investigated under Section 506 of the Penal Code, and investigation papers will be referred to the Attorney General’s Chambers soon for further instructions and advice.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — Police have warned that individuals who access or possess online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) may escalate to more serious offences, including grooming, sextortion and sexual crimes against children.

Bukit Aman Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division (D11) principal assistant director SAC Siti Kamsiah Hassan said the trend had been identified through investigations conducted by the division and the Malaysia Internet Crimes Against Children (MICAC) Centre into CSAM-related cases.

She said repeated exposure to CSAM could lead to behavioural addiction, a condition in which individuals are compelled to seek more content and spend longer periods accessing such material.

“Like other forms of addiction, individuals who are continuously exposed to CSAM may require increasingly extreme content to achieve the same level of satisfaction,” she told Bernama.

Siti Kamsiah said investigations had found that online communities sharing the material typically operated within closed groups, whose members often did not know one another personally.

“They are connected by a shared interest in such content. Over time, these groups form extensive networks, as each group develops its own connections and exchanges material with others,” she said.

She said demand for such content also fuelled exploitation, with some individuals selling the material to others for financial gain.

Siti Kamsiah said individuals involved in the possession, storage or distribution of CSAM came from diverse occupational backgrounds, age groups and social strata.

Previously, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said CSAM cases recorded by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) increased from 68 in 2024 to 152 last year, while 100 cases had been recorded so far this year.

She said the figures could represent only a fraction of the actual situation, as greater internet connectivity and the growing availability of content-generation tools had made such material easier to produce and disseminate.

To address the threat, Siti Kamsiah said the PDRM continued to intensify enforcement operations to detect individuals involved in CSAM-related offences, while also carrying out victim identification processes involving images or videos seized so that rescue operations could be undertaken as quickly as possible.

At the same time, she said the introduction of the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA) was seen as an important step in strengthening the country’s ability to tackle online sexual crimes, including those involving CSAM.

She added that previously, cooperation between digital platforms and the authorities had largely depended on voluntary basis, resulting in longer delays in obtaining information and removing criminal sexual content, including CSAM.

She said ONSA places clearer responsibilities on digital platforms to comply with Malaysian laws, thereby facilitating the process of obtaining account-holder information, tracking suspects, identifying victims and removing harmful content more swiftly. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) has decided to classify the investigation paper involving businessman Tei Jiann Cheing, better known as Albert Tei, and his complaint against Tan Sri Azam Baki as No Further Action (NFA).

In a media statement today, the AGC said it had reviewed the investigation paper submitted by the Royal Malaysia Police over Tei’s complaint against Azam for an alleged offence under Section 506 of the Penal Code.

“The comprehensive review of the investigation paper found that the elements of a criminal offence under Section 506 of the Penal Code could not be proven,” it said.

“Accordingly, the investigation paper has been decided to be classified as NFA,” it added.

Section 506 of the Penal Code covers criminal intimidation.

On June 6, Bukit Aman said two investigation papers involving Azam, the former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner, had been referred to the AGC after police completed their investigations.

Azam, the former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner, had previously denied Tei’s allegation.

He has since filed a defamation suit against Tei.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Former Damansara MP Tony Pua said today he is likely to be charged in court over his Facebook post regarding the Rukun Negara, after police recorded an additional statement from him at Bukit Aman this morning.

Pua said he was called in for further questioning after the investigation papers were returned by the Attorney General’s Chambers to Bukit Aman for additional questions.

“I am fully prepared to defend my innocence, and more importantly, rigourously defend spirit of the Rukun Negara, and the sanctity of the Federal Constitution in Court of Law,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Pua said he attended the 11.30am meeting with his lawyer, Sangeet Kaur Deo, and described the session with the police officers as courteous, cordial and professional.

He said the questioning lasted no more than 30 minutes, but noted that his latest statement classified him as a suspect, unlike his previous statement where he was interviewed as a witness.

“So it appears that the balance of probabilities have shifted, where I’m likely to be charged in Court within the next couple of weeks,” he added.

Pua said the additional questions mostly concerned the definition of the word “decree” and other matters linked to his Facebook post.

“My response was that the meaning of the post is per what I wrote, but I’ll be happy to provide additional elaboration if required, in Court,” he said.

Pua had previously been called by police over the Facebook post linked to the Rukun Negara and the Federal Constitution, after police reports were lodged against him.

In May, police said the case was being investigated under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code, which concerns statements conducing to public mischief, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which covers improper use of network facilities or services.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 — Police have identified a Chinese national, who was detained during a raid at a hotel here last month, as the organiser of a party linked to deviant activities and drug abuse.

Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said investigations found that the event was promoted on Instagram.

He said initial investigations showed that the drugs seized were for personal use and shared among party attendees, with no evidence of trafficking.

“However, intelligence gathering is ongoing to trace the source of the drug supply,” he said when contacted here today.

In a related development, Hussein said the department is still waiting for the medical report to determine the cause of death of a man believed to be involved in the party who was found unconscious during the raid.

The man was confirmed dead upon arrival at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL).

Hussein said that of the 51 individuals detained in the raid, 17 were charged under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, one under Section 39A(1), and 33 under Section 12(2) of the same Act.

He added that the Chinese national has been charged under Section 12(2) and Section 15(1)(a) of the same Act.

On May 24, police arrested 51 men in four raids at a hotel in the federal capital and seized various types of drugs worth RM103,070. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 — Police have recorded a statement from Tan Sri Azam Baki in connection with two separate investigations involving allegations of defamation, abuse of power, and criminal intimidation.

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk M. Kumar said the statement was recorded under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

“The first case concerns the publication of an article by Bloomberg.com that allegedly contained defamatory statements regarding the ownership of shares in Velocity Capital Partner Berhad.

“The second investigation involves allegations of abuse of power and criminal intimidation against a member of the public identified as Albert Tei,” he said in a statement.

Kumar said both investigation papers would be referred to the Attorney General’s Chambers in the near future, in accordance with Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution, for legal advice and further instructions.

“We advise the public not to speculate on the cases, as such actions could potentially affect or interfere with the investigation process,” he said.

“The police remain committed to ensuring transparency and integrity in their investigations and will not compromise when taking action against any individual found to have violated the law,” he added.