The remand order, which begins today, was issued by Kuala Terengganu Magistrate/Sessions Court senior assistant registrar Noradila Ab Latif.

The claims were allegedly submitted through the District and Land Office in a district in the state for the expenses of 32 programmes to be held in the assemblyman’s constituency, none of which were actually conducted.

He is being investigated under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 for false claims in May last year.

If found guilty, he could be jailed up to 20 years and fined no less than five times the value of the claims or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

The detention of the 54-year-old state assemblyman comes after that of the chairman of a youth association on Jan 9, and a district officer on Jan 14. Both were detained in connection to alleged false claims.

The state assemblyman was called to the Terengganu MACC office at about 5pm yesterday to give his statement on the case.