JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- The Johor state government today denied any involvement of its administration, including state executive councillors or officials, regarding the arrest of a man suspected of soliciting and receiving bribes as well as abusing power over housing plot applications.
State Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor hopes all parties will refrain from speculating or linking the case to the state government administration.
He said there will be no compromise with anyone trying to take advantage, deceive, or abuse their position for personal gain in public housing matters.
"... (In fact) we are working tirelessly to ensure more Bangsa Johor have access to affordable housing. A trust this significant must not be tarnished by a few individuals willing to exploit the hopes and hardships of people seeking to own a home," he said in a post on his official Facebook page today.
Mohd Jafni added the state government remains committed to achieving its target of 30,000 Johor Affordable Housing Scheme (RMMJ) units by year-end, with over 21,000 units completed and handed over so far.
He said the initiative is part of the state government's commitment to implementing the Bangsa Johor homeownership agenda in an orderly, transparent, and high-integrity manner.
Mohd Jafni urged the public to use official channels and immediately report any demands for unauthorised payments to the authorities.
"When it comes to public housing, trust must be upheld. The rights of the people must never be traded away," he said.
It was previously reported that the Johor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) detained the housing committee chairman of a statutory body in the state on suspicion of soliciting and accepting bribes, as well as abusing power concerning housing plot applications.
Johor MACC said the suspect, a man in his 40s, was arrested at about 7.30 pm yesterday. Initial investigations revealed that he was suspected of committing the offences between 2016 and 2025 by deceiving applicants for government housing plots.
The suspect is believed to have abused his power by soliciting RM4,000 from each of the 400 applicants, involving a total sum of around RM1.6 million. The funds were then allegedly misappropriated for personal use through withdrawals from the committee's bank account using false invoices.
-- BERNAMA