PUTRAJAYA, July 31 — Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers will be equipped with body-worn cameras (BWC) to ensure transparency in their investigations.

MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the BWC will record audio and visual footage of every event and incident during investigations conducted by MACC.

Speaking at the launch of the BWC and MACC jacket today, Azam said a total of 142 cameras will be distributed to operational sectors at headquarters and state offices in phases and more will be procured in the future.

"Transparency is crucial because we do not want MACC to be exposed to various allegations and accusations. With the existence of this BWC, we can reduce the ‘nonsensical talk’ (about) our officers,” he said.

At the press conference after the event, Azam said the BWC did not cost much to acquire as the device was procured directly from the supplier at market price and no special system was used.

"When we buy a system, it means that it is stored in the form of data. To save time and be more practical, we use this camera privately where the SD (secure digital) card is kept for reference when there is a need to go to court or other issues,” he said. — Bernama