Malaysia’s probe into failed budget carrier MYAirline widens to alleged fraud, money laundering

MYAirline had launched in early December 2022 with scheduled services between Kuala Lumpur, and Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Langkawi, and later expanded its operations in Thailand and Bangkok. There were reportedly plans to increase the fleet to 26 aircraft by end-2023, up from nine. 

MAVCOM has said it is cooperating with the government in the ongoing investigation. 

Police arrested Mr Goh, 57, his wife Neow Ean Lan, 55, and his son Sean Goh Tze Han, 26, last week, before freezing bank accounts and seizing luxury items in the investigations into alleged money laundering and fraud. The Gohs have since been released on police bail.

Another unnamed person was arrested this week in the ongoing investigations that have now expanded into a scandal-ridden e-commerce firm, known as i-Serve Online Mall, which is majority-owned by the Gohs.

Mr Goh, a low-key businessman known to be close to senior leadership of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), the country’s long-established ethnic Chinese party, controls a 31.7 per cent interest in i-Serve Online Mall.

Through other privately held entities with peculiar names, such as Zillion Wealth and Trillion Cove Holdings, the businessman controls 98 per cent of MYAirline. 

IN THE CROSSHAIRS

Even before MYAirline’s surprise move to cease operations two weeks ago, Mr Goh was already entangled in the crosshairs of Malaysia enforcement agencies. 

Companies in the stable of entities controlled by e-commerce company i-Serve Online Mall were raided in November 2021 in a multi-agency operation led by the central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia.