PUBLISHED ONJuly 28, 2026 9:20 AMBYSean LerMalaysia's anti-graft body said on Tuesday (July 28) that it will initiate a mutual legal assistance (MLA) process to seek documents from Dubai, Indonesia and Singapore amid probe involving the country's public and retirement funds.
The case involves the Retirement Fund (Incorporated)'s (KWAP) RM163.4 million (S$51.6 million) investment loss in Indonesian aquaculture technology company eFishery.
On April 26, its co-founder and chief executive officer Gibran Huzaifah was sentenced by the Bandung District Court to nine years' jail following his conviction for embezzlement and money laundering.
KWAP reportedly invested in eFishery in July 2023 after the startup was presented as a tech-driven aquaculture firm that would modernise fish and shrimp farming.
In a written parliamentary reply in July, Malaysia's finance ministry had confirmed that KWAP had fallen victim to the firm's "financial manipulation and misrepresentation of financial reporting".
The Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said it began investigating on July 17, with its investigators visiting KWAP's premises on July 20 to record statements from about 10 witnesses.
These include senior KWAP and finance ministry officials involved in the investment decision-making process.
In a statement on July 23, MACC chief Abdul Halim Aman said the investigation will be comprehensive, and it will also scrutinise governance issues, including financial procedures, legal compliance and the decision-making process behind the investment in eFishery made in 2023.
He added that MACC intends to submit applications for MLA in criminal matters through the Attorney-General's Chambers to obtain evidence and statements from witnesses abroad.
Providing an update on Tuesday, Halim said the commission has identified Dubai, Indonesia and Singapore as the three key jurisdictions from which it intends to obtain documents through MLA.
“We believe there are documents relating to these investments that are held abroad. We will work with the AGC to secure the necessary cooperation for the MLA process."
He added that the commission has also sought Bank Negara Malaysia's help to obtain financial intelligence to trace the financial positions of two companies, in Indonesia and Singapore, respectively.
The MACC chief stated that investigations will take time as the MLA process involves multiple jurisdictions and requires the cooperation of foreign authorities.
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