MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya said an investigation has been opened into the case involving the husband and wife, who are both in their 40s.

The suspects are alleged to have received the illicit payments between 2020 and 2024 by expediting work permit approvals for undocumented foreign workers.

According to Khusairi, they are believed to have collected about RM900,000 in bribes over a span of four years, then opened the goldsmith’s shop by using family members as proxies to register the business. They also purchased a luxury car.

A raid on a jewellery shop in Pahang uncovered about 3kg of gold worth RM1.4 million, MACC said in a statement.

The suspects were said to have been involved in the labour recalibration programme, which allows employers to obtain valid work permits for undocumented foreign workers.

Employers were required to submit their workers’ files to the suspects for document verification and allegedly had to pay RM700 per worker to shorten the process from seven days to three.

The bribes were paid in cash and distributed among other officers handling the files, while the suspects personally received RM150 for each worker.

The couple has been remanded for five days to assist MACC in its investigation.