PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) received more than 17,000 applications for 43 vacancies for the post of officers.

"We never expected this," said its deputy commissioner Datuk Zakaria Jaffar, who added that they would call up 1,800 applicants for interviews.

The commission, formerly the Anti-Corruption Agency, had announced that they were planning to hire 5,000 new stafff in the next five years.

Zakaria said between August and December, the PSD approved the recruitment of about 500 new officers.

"We are in the process of training the officers as well as the rank-and-file," he said after receiving the keys from Putrajaya Works director Datuk Abdul Rahim Ahmad to the commission's three new division offices, which will operate from a commercial building in Precinct 3.

The divisions are the Inspection and Consultation, Excellence and Professionalism, and Management.

Zakaria said the Inspection and Consultation Division would conduct checks on work procedures and systems in government agencies, ministries, government-linked companies, cooperatives, financial institutions and private companies.

"Our officers will also provide consultation and check the work procedures of private companies, multinationals as well as banks."

Zakaria also said state MACC offices at a cost of RM600 million would be built in Penang, Negri Sembilan, Perak, Kelantan, Malacca, Johor and Kuala Lumpur.