Malaysia’s Army chief, Gen Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan, has gone on immediate leave pending an investigation into allegations made against him.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the administrative leave was intended to allow investigators to carry out their duties without interference.
“This step is taken to ensure the investigation can proceed smoothly and without any conflict of interest,” he said in a statement today.
The development follows allegations by political activist Badrul Hisham Shaharin, also known as Chegubard, who accused a senior Malaysian Armed Forces officer of involvement in money laundering.
Subsequently, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed that an investigation has been opened under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.
Last Tuesday, MACC officers visited the Defence Ministry, focusing their probe on procurement projects carried out through open tenders and acquisitions under the Army’s Pusat Tanggungjawab (PTJ).
The investigation, which began on Dec 23, revealed that between 2023 and 2025, the Army implemented 158 procurement projects valued above RM500,000 and 4,521 projects valued below RM500,000.
Preliminary findings indicated that several companies had repeatedly secured high-value contracts, raising red flags for investigators.
As of Dec 24, the MACC has recorded statements from three individuals to assist in the ongoing probe.
