Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – Former Malaysian Army Chief of Staff Mohammed Hafizuddin and his wife were charged in the Kuala Lumpur Anti-Corruption Special Court on the 22nd. Prosecutors accused them of bribery and money laundering. Both pleaded not guilty at the trial.
Following a tip-off in December 2025, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission launched an investigation into military corruption. Hafizuddin is the first high-ranking military official implicated in the case to be charged. The Anti-Corruption Commission confirmed on the 21st that the Malaysian Attorney General's Chambers had approved the indictment of Hafizuddin and former Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammed Nizam.
Hafizuddin served as Malaysian Army Chief of Staff before being suspended from duty in December 2025 and was announced to be soon to be promoted to Chief of the Malaysian Armed Forces. On the 22nd, prosecutors charged Hafizuddin with accepting bribes exceeding RM2.12 million (approximately US$0.25 per ringgit) between 2024 and 2025, while his wife was accused of accepting bribes of RM77,000. Malaysia's anti-corruption agency has accused several high-ranking military officials of corruption and embezzlement of military funds in multiple army tenders since 2023. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on the 16th a temporary freeze on all tenders for the country's military and police forces in an effort to rebuild a transparent and compliant procurement process. The Malaysian Ministry of Defense stated on the 21st that it will cooperate fully with the anti-corruption agency in the investigation to rebuild the procurement process and restore public trust. (End)
