Tong Thin Fook, 60, was hit with two charges of receiving RM454,365 in proceeds from unlawful activities, allegedly derived from the sale of durians cultivated without approval on forest reserve and state land, as reported by national news agency Bernama.
Chin Swee Heung, 53, faces five charges of receiving proceeds from unlawful activities involving RM48,774 while Lai Seng Wah, 44, was charged with two similar counts involving RM40,245.
Chua Seng Wen, 64, was also charged with one similar count amounting to RM15,945.
All four men pleaded not guilty to the offenses, which allegedly occurred in Kampung Sungai Klau, Sungai Klau and Sungai Ruan in the state’s Raub district between July 4, 2024, and Oct. 7, 2025.
If convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of at least five times the value of the proceeds from illegal activities.
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Durians are seen on the tree at a durian orchard in Raub of Pahang state, Malaysia, Oct. 16, 2025. Photo by Xinhua via AFP |
A deputy public prosecutor from Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission had earlier proposed bail of RM20,000-50,000 for each of them and requiring them to check in with the agency every month, hand over their passports and avoid contacting witnesses until the case wraps up, as reported by Free Malaysia Today.
The court eventually set bail at RM20,000 for each person and imposed all the proposed conditions. It also scheduled Dec. 9 for mention, during which the court will give directions on how the case will proceed.
The four men were among several people detained in connection with probes into illegal farming on state and forest reserve land in Raub, also known as “Musang King Durian Town,” according to the New Straits Times.
Between late September and early October, the MACC arrested six individuals accused of operating unauthorized Musang King durian orchards and channeling their earnings through money-laundering networks.
Unauthorized farming on government land has long been an issue in the area, as well as across Pahang, a major durian-growing state.
Earlier this year, Pahang’s Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah disclosed that roughly 14,500 hectares had been unlawfully occupied for crops including oil palm, rubber, and durian. He has also called for firm enforcement against land encroachment.
