KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today confirmed investigating the Fire and Rescue Department’s purchase of inferior fireproof uniforms worth RM13.5 million in 2016.

It said in a statement that the probe was almost completed.

"We have sent samples (of the uniform) to the Chemistry Department, which confirmed it is unsafe to use since it does not adhere to the safety standards set by Fire and Rescue Department,” MACC said in a statement, referring to the uniforms.

The commission said it is now only waiting for the results from samples sent to a third-party laboratory in the United Kingdom for analysis.

It denied a report by Harian Metro earlier today that it had stopped the department from buying new fireproof uniforms after it launched its probe in 2017.

"Throughout the course of our investigations, the commission has not prevented or obstructed the department from any sort of purchasing or procuring,” MACC said.

The commission’s investigation saw the confiscation of 6,000 fireproof uniforms in the Fire and Rescue station at Salak Tinggi in 2017, worth RM13.5 million. They were procured through a tender in 2016.

The confiscation was made after MACC received complaints about the uniforms’ problems. Laboratory tests later showed the uniforms to be made of polyester plastic which are easily flammable.