PUTRAJAYA, Aug 19 — A corruption investigation involving former minister Datuk Dr Xavier Jayakumar reportedly was closed in 2024 after prosecutors found insufficient evidence to charge him, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said today.

Utusan Malaysia reported that MACC said two investigation papers had been opened in 2021 under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009, with the relevant facts, documents and evidence subsequently examined.

“The deputy public prosecutor decided to classify the case as ‘closed and filed’ in 2024 because there was insufficient evidence to charge Datuk Dr Xavier,” the commission was quoted as saying.

The disclosure came a day after former Petaling Jaya MP Kua Kia Soong questioned the status of the investigation, saying there had been no public confirmation of its outcome.

It also comes shortly after Xavier confirmed his return to PKR, five years after quitting the party in 2021 and subsequently supporting then prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration as an independent MP.

At the time of his departure from PKR, Xavier was being investigated by MACC following the detention of his close associate M A Thinagaran over suspected bribes linked to projects awarded by the Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry in 2019, when Xavier headed the ministry.

MACC urged the public not to speculate about the case, saying investigations were conducted based on the available facts and evidence and that the time required depended on the complexity of each case.