KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is probing alleged irregularities in the country’s tyre industry, including possible price manipulation.
Berita Harian reported sources as saying investigators are focusing on the annual import of up to 300 containers of tyres, some of which are suspected of being unsafe or unsuitable for local road conditions, posing a serious public safety risk.
The investigation also covers an estimated RM70 million in annual government revenue losses.
These losses are believed to stem from unpaid import duties — a 40 per cent tariff for tyres from non-Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA) countries and a 10 per cent Sales and Service Tax (SST) — on approximately 100,000 heavy vehicle tyres brought into the country each year.
“MACC is looking into the matter and will consider opening an investigation paper if necessary,” a source was quoted saying.
When contacted, MACC Special Operations Division senior director Datuk Mohamad Zamri Zainul Abidin confirmed the probe but declined to provide further details.
The investigation comes amid rising tyre prices, which have surged between five and 10 per cent in recent years and have reportedly tripled since 2022, while safety concerns persist.
Road safety advocate Jamil Manan Supri said tyre-related mechanical failures are a major cause of road accidents, describing recurring “flying tyre” incidents as a “ticking time bomb” and criticising enforcement efforts as inadequate.
