“If we look at the trend, every time elections approach there will be many arrests, but as soon as the elections have passed the cases are forgotten,” Generasi Warisan Kebangsaan president Roslan Isa told FMT.

Roslan said the investigation should be carried out smoothly, adding that there should not be “invisible hands” behind the scenes controlling the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Isa was arrested by the anti-graft agency today in connection with two hotels purchased by Felda subsidiary Felda Investment Corporation (FIC).

A source confirmed this just hours after Isa was detained at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya.

The source said Isa had been detained over FIC’s purchase of two hotels between 2014 and 2015, one in London and the other in Sarawak.

MACC deputy commissioner (operations) Azam Baki confirmed the arrest, adding that it was a follow-up to earlier statements recorded over the hotel purchases.

Roslan, whose NGO fights for the rights of Felda settlers, said he was happy over the arrest as justice had been served on behalf of the settlers who had been victimised for a long time.

Meanwhile, Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) executive director Cynthia Gabriel said the arrest was an “amazing development” and that MACC should be congratulated on its bold move.

She said no stone should be left unturned in the investigation as more big names could be linked to the corruption in Felda.

“We recommend a special tribunal of independent persons to dissect the issues and call for a revamp of the entire governing system of Felda,” she told FMT.

Isa quit his role as FGV chairman in June after meeting with Prime Minister Najib Razak. He was later appointed an acting chairman of the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD).

FGV came under investigation following allegations made by the plantation giant’s president and chief executive officer Zakaria Arshad on June 6. He had urged MACC to probe deals made by the company, especially those involving FGV’s procurement department.

There were also allegations of misconduct and abuse of power made against the FGV leadership.

Zakaria met with MACC on June 7 and the agency raided FGV offices in Menara Felda in Kuala Lumpur the following day, carting off files of documents to facilitate its investigations.

On June 21, Isa and his wife Bibi Sharliza Mohd Khalid gave their statements to MACC although no details were forthcoming on why they had been called in.

The London hotel is likely the four-star Grand Plaza Kensington Hotel which FIC acquired on Dec 16, 2014.

Preliminary investigations by MACC revealed that FIC was believed to have bought the hotel at a much higher price than the market price, resulting in the company allegedly losing millions of ringgit.

The four-star hotel in Kuching is also believed to have been bought at a price much higher than its original value.

A source said MACC’s investigation of the Sarawak hotel purchase was a follow-up on the investigation into the London hotel deal.