KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) president Datuk Akhbar Satar urged the government to strictly enforce the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA) to deter corruption.

"The government should seriously enforce AMLATPUA 2001 as it will serve a warning to the criminals that crime does not pay where apart charged for a serious offence as stipulated in the second schedule of the act it also clearly does not allow any individuals to benefit or enjoy the illegal proceeds obtained from unlawful activities,” he said in a statement.

Separately, Akhbar said Putrajaya could adopt a similar approach to the Saudi Arabian government when its Crown Prince, Mohammed, seized more than US$124 billion (RM493.8 billion) in a corruption purge and subsequently promised to channel the money for social benefits.

Akhbar said he believed that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had seized around RM670 million between 2016 and 2017 in the form of cash, luxury cars, branded handbags and jewelleries.

"Some of the seized assets and fines from cases of corruption may be liquidated and channelled towards Tabung Harapan (Malaysia) to help the government reduce the national debt,” he said referring to the fund established to help pay some of the government’s debts.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had previously announced that the country is saddled with a massive RM1 trillion in liabilities.