Did The MACC Really Freeze Lee Chong Wei's Bank Account?

Earlier this month, former Prime Minister Najib Razak had his personal bank accounts frozen due to an ongoing investigation into 1MDB. Several UMNO accounts were also reportedly frozen.

Now, a rather unexpected name was thrown into the mix: national badminton hero Lee Chong Wei.

Last week, rumours were going around social media speculating that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had frozen the 35-year-old's personal bank account.

The freezing was allegedly due to links to the 1MDB fund.

In fact, the former world number one's sudden withdrawal from Asian Games and World Championships further added fuel to fire.

So, when you leave the internet to put one and one together, you'll end up with a juicy conspiracy theory because who doesn't love one, right?

But before you go grab your popcorn, hold on to your horses. As it turns out, it was all fake news.

MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Seri Azam Baki cleared the air on Monday, saying that the department did not freeze Chong Wei's bank account.

The rumours were "not true at all", Azam told Bernama.

Azam's statement mirrors that of Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who told The New Straits Times in a seperate report that Chong Wei's withdrawal had nothing to do with the 1MDB case.

Saddiq confirmed that Chong Wei is currently suffering from a career-threatening respiratory disease, having visited him at his home last week.

“We shouldn’t defame the athletes. Whatever the differences in politics, we should not forget the services of our athletes," Safddiq was quoted as saying.