Leading tyre makers brought their technical personnel to detect misconduct and issues with imported products stored in the warehouse.
Eight international and local tyre manufacturing companies, namely Michelin, Bridgestone, Toyo, Continental, Goodyear, Yokohama, Maxxis, and Pirelli, participated in the inspection, following the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) recent Op Grip.
Among the offenses detected by the companies’ technical teams were those related to modified production dates, counterfeit remolded tires, and the entry of tyres from Europe.
Enforcement officers from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) and SIRIM Berhad were also present to conduct the inspection.
Besides the technical inspection, the Senior Director of MACC’s Special Operations Division, Datuk Mohamad Zamri Zainul Abidin, held discussions with tire industry representatives at the MACC Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Mohamad Zamri said industry representatives need to find more sustainable solutions to ensure no further leakage of government revenue in the tyre import industry.
He asked all industry players to ensure the issue is fully resolved because it not only involves government revenue but also the safety of road consumers.
“We ask industry players to go down to the field or the warehouses raided in the recent Op Grip themselves so that they can understand this issue more closely and implement immediate solutions.
“More importantly, this matter involves the safety of road consumers,” he said.
On Monday, the MACC raided several companies at 23 locations nationwide, which are believed to be involved in tyre smuggling and the forgery of import and export documents, causing the government to lose approximately RM350 million in tax revenue from 2020 until now.
The raids were conducted on companies involved in import businesses, as well as tyre storage warehouses and containers.
As a result of the raids, the MACC has frozen private and company bank accounts involving an estimated value of about RM70 million.
The raids were carried out through an integrated operation, Op Grip, led by the MACC’s Special Operations Division in collaboration with the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN), Bank Negara Malaysia, and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department in the Klang Valley, Penang, and Johor.
