SEBERANG PERAI, April 14 — The arrest of several officers in the Human Resources Ministry is the sole decision of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said he had instructed the MACC to take action against anyone if there was any basis for it.

"I was informed a few officers of the minister were arrested but let’s not jump to conclusions about this,” he said during a press conference here.

"If I am not mistaken, three of them have been arrested,” he added.

It was earlier reported that aides to the Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar were arrested by the MACC in a probe on the approval of foreign workers’ hiring quota.

One of them, a private secretary to the minister, was arrested today after she turned up at the MACC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur to have her statement recorded.

Meanwhile, when asked if there was a conflict of interest in the appointment of Mohammed Rashdan Mohd Yusof as the Energy Commission chairman, Anwar said he will need to check on it.

"I have been alerted about it. There should not be any conflict of interest,” he said.

He said if a conflict of interest is established, he will make the necessary adjustment.

Mohammed Rashdan is also the deputy managing director of Gamuda Bhd.