From luxury cars to celebrity endorsements: Inside Ops Sky’s scandal
MACC is set to summon three celebrities to provide statements regarding their association with the financial consultancy firm at the centre of the Ops Sky scandal.

MACC is set to summon three celebrities to provide statements regarding their association with the financial consultancy firm at the centre of the Ops Sky scandal.
SHAH ALAM - A large-scale money laundering and bribery syndicate, allegedly orchestrated by a financial consultancy firm with the help of bank officers, has been exposed following a high-profile investigation led by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in collaboration with Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).
The operation, codenamed Ops Sky, aimed to dismantle a sophisticated network that fraudulently manipulated personal loan approvals, amassing illicit gains amounting to hundreds of millions of ringgits.
According to local reports, Ops Sky was launched on Jan 20, with coordinated raids across 24 locations in the Klang Valley.
The large-scale enforcement action resulted in the arrest of 27 individuals, including 18 bank officers, eight employees of the implicated financial consultancy firm and a civilian.
The suspects were detained for questioning and have since been released on MACC bail.
How the syndicate operated
Investigations revealed that the financial consultancy firm manipulated bank loan processes by falsifying documents and coaching applicants to secure multiple approvals simultaneously across different banks.
The firm allegedly forged cancellation letters from banks, allowing clients to bypass standard loan eligibility checks. Through this fraudulent scheme, the syndicate managed to obtain approximately RM700 million in loans.
Authorities suspect that the firm specifically targeted public sector employees, aggressively promoting its services via social media and community outreach programmes.
Additionally, the company enlisted celebrities as brand ambassadors, paying them substantial fees, reportedly up to RM400,000, to endorse the firm, which raised questions about their awareness of the illicit activities.
Sinar previously reported that MACC has frozen 98 bank accounts linked to the case, amounting to RM22 million.
Authorities have also seized a fleet of luxury vehicles including a Ferrari F8 Spider, Lexus RC300, Mercedes-Benz GLC43, BMW, Toyota Alphard, Mazda and Honda, alongside luxury watches valued at over RM11.1 million, cash amounting to RM309,400, and jewellery estimated at RM50,000.
Celebrities under scrutiny
As part of the ongoing investigation, the MACC is set to summon three celebrities to provide statements regarding their association with the financial consultancy firm at the centre of the Ops Sky scandal.
Based on local reports, the firm appointed these celebrities as brand ambassadors to promote its services, with no apparent direct involvement in its alleged fraudulent activities.
Among those named were veteran actor Datuk Jalaluddin Hassan, national astronaut Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and singer Ziana Zain.
Financial records and testimonies revealed that these brand ambassadors received payments ranging from RM150,000 to RM400,000 over one to two years.
Ziana offered a brief response when questioned about her alleged connection to the firm, simply stating, "No comment, I just sing."
However, she acknowledged the media’s role in seeking clarification on the matter.
Meanwhile, Jalaluddin, has expressed his willingness to cooperate with MACC, stating that his role was limited to producing promotional videos and endorsing the firm.
He added that he was not concerned about the situation and he had yet to be contacted by MACC.
The expanding investigation and legal ramifications
MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki had emphasised the agency’s commitment to uncovering the full extent of corruption involved in this case.
Authorities have invoked multiple legal provisions in their investigation, including Sections 16(a)(A) and 17A(a) of the MACC Act 2009, Section 137 of the Financial Services Act 2013, and Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA 2001).
The syndicate allegedly charged a commission of one per cent on each loan amount, distributing the proceeds among its members, including bank officers.
Authorities believed that officers from five to six Malaysian banks were involved in facilitating loan approvals under suspicious circumstances.
It was reported that since 2020, the consultancy firm had been profiting from various service fees, debt settlement charges and investment schemes tied to personal financing from multiple banks.
The firm is suspected of using illicit proceeds to acquire properties and luxury assets.
Authorities are now expanding their probe to apprehend more suspects, with MACC preparing to summon an additional 15 to 20 bank officers for questioning.
As part of their forensic investigation, MACC and BNM are working to extract pertinent loan application data from banking systems and trace suspicious transactions. So far, investigators have gathered over 4,000 documents related to the case.
What happens next?
The MACC has stated that efforts are ongoing to bring all involved individuals to justice, as investigators continue to uncover the full scope of the operation.
More bank officials are expected to be detained, while the authorities work to determine the extent of financial losses and illicit gains.
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