MCW seeks transparent probe into alleged discrepancies in petroleum cargo movement at Tanjung Langsa

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — Malaysia Corruption Watch (MCW) has urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate allegations of discrepancies between bills of lading and the physical movement of petroleum cargo at the Tanjung Langsat Port in Johor, involving transactions said to be worth millions of ringgit.

MCW president Jais Abdul Karim said if the claims of inconsistencies between shipping documentation and actual cargo movement are substantiated, they could open the door to various forms of misconduct.

He said MACC should give immediate attention to the matter if there are elements of corruption, abuse of power or document falsification involved.

“If the allegations have merit and are not dealt with firmly, they could open the door to various forms of misconduct including trade fraud, manipulation of documentation, tax and duty evasion, smuggling of petroleum products as well as money laundering,” he said in a statement today. 

Jais said the issue should not be viewed as a purely technical documentation matter, warning that weak internal controls and monitoring could create space for corruption or abuse of power within logistics, enforcement and international trade chains.

He added that the risk becomes more serious if cargo data, customs records, ship manifests, trade documents and terminal storage records are not properly verified and cross-checked.

In this regard, MCW called on authorities to strengthen cross-check mechanisms between port data, Customs records, vessel monitoring systems, trade documents and terminal storage records.

It also urged the acceleration of full digitalisation of the petroleum supply chain to ensure all transactions can be tracked in real time and audited more effectively.

MCW proposed regular independent audits, use of data analytics technology, integration of agency databases, and stronger whistleblower protection to detect non-compliance earlier.

Jais said swift and independent action is crucial to avoid perceptions of weak enforcement or preferential treatment for any parties involved.

He added that the integrity of the country’s trade system is a strategic asset that must be protected, as any allegations affecting investor confidence and institutional credibility must be thoroughly investigated.