Anwar: AG-Led Special Committee to Probe Corporate Crime Within Three Months

The government is setting up a special committee to look into corporate crime, with the attorney general in the chair. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, that the panel will have three months to finish its investigation and hand in a full report, The Edge Malaysia reported.

The committee will bring together the Royal Malaysian Police, the Securities Commission Malaysia, Bank Negara Malaysia and other relevant agencies. Anwar did not say which specific cases it would examine.

Why this is coming up now

Anwar was answering a question from Port Dickson MP Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun about allegations of "corporate mafia" activity. Those claims gained attention after a Bloomberg article questioned oversight of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, and they centre on alleged takeovers of Bursa Malaysia-listed companies in collusion with MACC officials. The MACC and its then chief commissioner, Tan Sri Azam Baki, have denied the allegations.

Anwar said the government would not tolerate abuse of power or law-breaking in business, and that enforcement agencies were continuing to investigate alleged misconduct. He described corporate crime as covering offences such as:

• Hostile or unlawful takeovers of listed and private companies.
• Stock market manipulation and breaches of disclosure and regulatory rules.
• Illegal moneylending and intimidation of borrowers.
• Money laundering under the anti-money laundering and proceeds of unlawful activities law.

The numbers behind the enforcement push

Anwar pointed to Operation Viking, a police probe into suspected money laundering. As of 25 September 2026, 70 people had been called in to give statements. The operation has frozen or seized eight properties, 11 vehicles, 417 Central Depository System accounts, 70 share-trading accounts worth about RM323.59 million and 404 bank accounts holding about RM85.62 million.

Across anti-money laundering work this year, he said RM4.3 billion and 2.1 million shares had been frozen, RM1 billion and 2.1 million shares seized, RM48 million forfeited and RM1.1 billion in compounds imposed, with court proceedings ongoing to forfeit more than RM3 billion.

In the same sitting, Anwar also said the government is finalising a State-Owned Enterprises Bill to tighten governance and financial management of government bodies, including Bumiputera-related entities, and hopes to table and pass it this year:

"Hopefully, we can pass it this year so that all government agencies will be subject to stricter rules." Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in the Dewan Rakyat, as reported by The Edge Malaysia

What this means for Malaysian readers

For investors, a tougher stance on market manipulation and disclosure breaches should, over time, make Bursa Malaysia a fairer place to put money. A three-month deadline also means there should be a report to judge the outcome against early next year.

For SME owners, the message is practical. Keep shareholder records, agreements and financial statements in order, borrow only from licensed lenders, and be wary of unsolicited offers to buy into or take over your company. Clean, well-documented books are the best protection if anyone questions how your business is run, and they make it easier to deal with banks and investors too.

Sources: The Edge Malaysia, "Anwar: Govt to set up special committee to investigate corporate crime, chaired by attorney general" and The Edge Malaysia, "State-Owned Enterprises Bill targeted for tabling and approval this year — PM", 20 October 2026. Rewritten in our own words.