KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested a former chairman of a temple in the state over suspected misappropriation of temple funds worth RM50,000.

According to an MACC source, the man, in his 70s, was arrested at 3pm last Thursday when he showed up to give his statement at the Selangor MACC office.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had allegedly committed the offence in November 2021 and colluded with another individual who was arrested in March by submitting an invoice for consultancy services costing RM50,000 for temple repairs,” they said, adding that the repair work was never conducted.

Investigations are now centred on the temple, which was founded in the 1950s, and its major financial sources — the donations from Hindu devotees at the temple.

The temple’s registration has also been terminated by the Registrar of Societies in October 2024 and the temple was found to have been built on government land without legal authorisation, they said.

“The temple’s lack of registration resulted in lack of oversight by the authorities on its financial management and expenses, which provided an avenue for the misappropriation of funds,” they added.

Meanwhile, Selangor MACC director Mohd Azwan Ramli confirmed the arrest when contacted, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009 and that both suspects are expected to be charged soon. — Bernama