Anwar’s former aide, businessman to face bribery charges: Malaysia’s anti-graft agency
Albert Tei purportedly channelled over US$150,000 to Anwar’s former senior political secretary Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, which was allegedly spent on home renovations, cigars and tailored suits.
Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Azam Baki speaks to the media during a press conference on the recent arrests of Albert Tei and Shamsul Iskandar, the former senior political secretary to Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya on Dec 3, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Fadza Ishak)
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KUALA LUMPUR: A former senior political secretary to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and a businessman at the centre of a corruption scandal will be charged with bribery offences later this week, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said on Wednesday.
Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, who resigned as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s senior political secretary on Nov 25, and Albert Tei, who is embroiled in accusations of graft involving mining projects in Sabah, will be charged on Thursday at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court with four counts each of receiving and offering bribes, MACC chief Azam Baki told reporters.
The pair will also be charged with one count each of the same offences at the Shah Alam Sessions Court on Friday, Azam said.
Shamsul and Tei were arrested separately on Nov 28. Another person, purported to be Shamsul’s proxy and identified by investigators as Sofia Rini Buyong, was arrested on Thursday night.
Sofia will not be charged as she has been classified as a prosecution witness, Azam said.
MACC has recorded statements from 32 witnesses not including the three individuals, in the investigation, he added.
When CNA asked if the investigations against Shamsul revealed any other elements of corruption in the Prime Minister’s Office or the government, Azam said this “depends on what my investigators need”.
“In this case, we are focusing on allegations revealed by (local news platform) Malaysiakini, and we conduct investigations based on the videos and other material released,” Azam said.
“You will see that when this case is brought to the courts - the details of the charges - that there will be some differences compared to what has been published by relevant media outlets.”
Malaysiakini reported on Nov 25, days before the Sabah election on Nov 29, allegations by Tei that he had channelled funds totaling RM629,000 (US$152,215) to Shamsul.
The money was said to have been spent on home renovations, cigars and tailored suits.
Tei's allegations surfaced hours after Shamsul announced his resignation following a separate case where he was accused of issuing letters of support in a tender, raising questions of conflict of interest.
The allegations involving Shamsul dominated the tail end of the Sabah election hustings, and Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition eventually managed to win only one seat of the 22 it contested.
Tei had alleged that he spent the RM629,000 after being purportedly assured that he could recoup the money "channelled to politicians in Sabah", Malaysiakini reported.
The report did not elaborate how the money would allegedly be channelled to politicians in Sabah nor what Tei was seeking exactly.
Malaysiakini added that Tei “has an axe to grind” against Sabah’s incumbent Gabungan Rakyat Sabah coalition - which is part of Anwar’s unity government and was in an electoral pact with PH - over the cancellation of his mineral exploration licences.
Tei has made national headlines recently, after he released covert videos purportedly showing Sabah state lawmakers engaged in alleged bribe negotiations with him for a mining licence.
While he claims to be a whistleblower, Tei has already been charged alongside two Sabah state assemblymen with offering and accepting bribes.
Those implicated denied wrongdoing, accusing Tei of releasing the videos out of revenge for not securing government contracts.
Azam said on Friday that the MACC has also opened an investigation against Tei’s lawyer Mahajoth Singh for refusing to cooperate in the investigation.
“He has information and exhibits that can assist us, and he was present at our office but refused to hand over this information,” Azam said.
He also denied allegations that the commission breached legal privilege by investigating the lawyer, saying that the law does not not provide exemptions for lawyers or any other profession.
“MACC did not request information related to confidential legal advice between lawyer and client,” he said.
Azam also said that MACC has made a police report against allegations by Tei’s wife, Lee Pei Rie, that MACC officers had pointed a gun at her husband before handcuffing him during his arrest, and that the officers had refused to present a search list during the raid on his home.
“We have sent video evidence and my officers have also been called to give statements,” he added. “We are not trying to conceal anything.”
On Nov 25, shortly after Tei’s allegations against Shamsul surfaced, Teo released a video showing him speaking with a woman, allegedly named Sofia, whom he claimed was Shamsul’s proxy.
In the video, the woman alleged that Anwar himself authorised Tei to record conversations with several Sabah politicians - including state ministers and assemblymen - regarding mineral exploration licenses in Sabah.
The woman also claimed Shamsul had asked Azam to “ease his case”.
Following the release of the video, Sofia admitted to meeting Tei, but denied being Shamsul’s proxy and accused Tei of spreading lies and slander.
