Former Malaysian minister Rafizi’s ex-aide a ‘wanted’ man to assist in probe over US$270 million government deal

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said that it was tracking down Chai Jin Shern, also known as James Chai, and had appealed to the public to provide any information on his whereabouts. Advertisement Asia Former Malaysian minister Rafizi’s ex-aide a ‘wanted’ man to assist in probe over US$270 million government deal The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said that it was tracking down Chai Jin Shern, also known as James Chai, and had appealed to the public to provide any information on his whereabouts. A composite image of Malaysia's former economy minister Rafizi Ramli and his ex-aide James Chai. (Photos: CNA/Zamzahuri Abas, LinkedIn/James Chai) New: You can now listen to articles. This audio is generated by an AI tool. Rashvinjeet S Bedi Rashvinjeet S Bedi 04 Mar 2026 03:42PM (Updated: 04 Mar 2026 03:44PM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is on the hunt for political analyst James Chai, who was an ex-aide to former economy minister Rafizi Ramli, as a wanted person in a probe over alleged abuse of power, fraud and governance relating to a RM1.1 billion (US$270 million) government deal with British semiconductor giant Arm Holdings.At a press conference on Wednesday (Mar 4), MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said the agency is also seeking to summon a former minister - whom he refused to name - to assist in investigations.This is on top of the 12 witnesses it has summoned so far from a few ministries and government agencies, including from the Economy Ministry, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI). “We have obtained the important documents from the relevant agencies and ministries. We are also looking at the Cabinet paper presentation in this matter. We are also calling in other witnesses,” said Azam, adding that a former minister was also summoned as a witness in the case. Subscribe to CNA’s Morning Brief An automated curation of our top stories to start your day. This service is not intended for persons residing in the E.U. By clicking subscribe, I agree to receive news updates and promotional material from Mediacorp and Mediacorp’s partners. Loading Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Azam Baki during a press conference at the agency's headquarters in Putrajaya on Mar 4, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Fadza Ishak) Rafizi Ramli was the economy minister while Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz was the investment, trade and industry minister when the deal was signed. Last month, Rafizi had said that the deal with Arm Holdings - signed in March last year - was being investigated by the authorities. Rafizi accused the MACC of conducting a politically motivated probe against him, saying that the investigation was launched in retaliation after his public calls for Azam’s suspension.Rafizi, the Pandan Member of Parliament, said the allegations against him revolved around two major government policies - the Silicon Vision Programme and the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) - both of which he claimed went through multiple layers of government approval, including Cabinet endorsement. The Silicon Vision Programme involved a collaboration between the government and Arm Holdings to create the country’s first semiconductor ships.Meanwhile, the NETR outlines the country’s energy transition targets up to 2050 and involves major investments in the green industry. Related: Alleged plot to topple government well-funded, ‘strategically planned’ until next election: Anwar Anwar aide dismisses minister’s call for royal inquiry into Malaysia’s anti-graft agency Rafizi had resigned from his ministerial post in May 2025 after failing to defend his deputy presidency in the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) internal polls while Tengku Zafrul’s tenure as minister ended in December.Tengku Zafrul had served for two terms as a senator since 2020. He held the trade minister post throughout his term in the Senate, which is the maximum period allowed. In a statement issued earlier on Wednesday, the MACC had said it was tracking down Chai Jin Shern, also known as James Chai, and had appealed to the public to provide any information on his whereabouts. Azam said later during the press conference that they had yet to get a response from Chai who is currently in the United Kingdom. “In this matter, we won’t let any parties manipulate this issue. We will investigate this issue fairly and professionally. And we hope everyone is patient in waiting for the conclusion of the investigation,” said Azam without revealing further details.When pressed further, Azam said that Chai was not a witness, but that he was “wanted” by the MACC for now. “We want to get his statement on his appointment after he left a ministry and is now working with