Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said the STF was established due to the seriouness of money laundering and as part of the two main thrust of the government’s National Key Result Area (NKRA) to reduce crime and combat corruption.
“The main objectives of the STF is to identify and collect revenue arising from undeclared customs duties and taxes due to the government, to investigate related crimes such as illegal remittances, smuggling of illicit funds, corrupt activities and address the misuse of subsidies for diesel, petrol and gas,” he said at the AGC monthly assembly here, today.
Collaboration between STF and the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism in March led to the seizure of vessels, tankers, modified vehicles and skid tanks used to smuggle diesel valued at RM100 million.
“The collaboration was aimed at achieving a projected savings of RM395 million for the government in subsidies for diesel, petrol and gas this year.”
He said in combating money laundering and related predicate crimes, the STF coordinated joint operations had significantly increased the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) and Royal Malaysian Customs (RMC) annual collection.
The IRB projected collection in 2014 is RM140.15 billion, a 100 percent increase in four years while the RMC projected collection in 2014 is RM36 billion, a RM10 billion increase from the RM25.9 billion collected in 2009.
Abdul Gani added the STF is not a new or a stand-alone law enforcement agency as it comprises the AGC, Bank Negara, Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), IRB, RMC, Immigration Department and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
“There are also other agencies at the working level such as the Audit Department, Companies Commission of Malaysia, Cyber Security Malaysia and the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs,” he said adding the STF also proposed improvements to the systems and procedures.
— BERNAMA
