Ex-Tourism Malaysia chairman released on bail

PUTRAJAYA: After spending four days in remand, former Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Siew Ka Wai has been released.

Siew was released together with a company chief executive officer Elizabeth Ken Tze Ying around 10am when they were brought to court at the end of their remand yesterday.

Magistrate Atikah Abu Hassan allowed Siew and Ken to be released on a RM50,000 bail with one surety each.

Both of them were arrested on Tuesday after giving their statements at the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission headquarters here.

They were under investigation over allegations of power abuse, involving a government contract valued at some RM99mil.

The investigation was conducted under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009.

Siew, 64, is believed to have used his position to propose that the company be appointed directly for the contract.

The contract was for the company to act as a go-between for Tourism Malaysia and a Chinabased firm to promote Malaysia via a digital advertising campaign.

It is believed that the said con- tract was approved within a day and did not follow Tourism Malaysia’s procurement regulations.

Sources said more people might be called in for questioning as the investigating team probed deeper into the case.

A statement was also taken from Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry secretary-general Datuk Rashidi Hasbullah in relation to the case.