PARIT BUNTAR, Oct 8 — A total of 791,970kg of paddy fertiliser under the Federal Government Paddy Fertiliser Scheme (SBPKP) worth about RM1.35 million was seized in a raid at Taman Pelangi, Jalan Kuala Kurau, here today.

Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry (MOA) Integrity Unit head, Nur Syahidah Chia Abdullah said the seizure was based on its enforcement intelligence over the last six months and was the third raid so far, this year.

"The fertiliser is reserved for the use of farmers but had been misused by the farmers themselves. We will also investigate the possibility of leakage at other levels,” he said at a news conference here today.

He said the raid was held from 9am to 2.30pm involving 30 enforcement personnel of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) and MOA.

According to Nur Syahidah, the investigation also found that a store had been operating for seven years without a wholesale licence to store fertilisers.

Meanwhile, a MACC spokesman said a 49-year-old businessman was arrested for attempting to give a RM30,000 bribe to the KPDNHEP officer so that no action would be taken.

He said the businessman was investigated under Section 17 (b) of the MACC Act 2009 and would be taken to Ipoh Court for remand proceedings tomorrow. — Bernama