Obese officers from M’sia anti-corruption agency won’t be eligible for promotion, says chief

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) personnel who are obese or have a body mass index (BMI) above 27 will not be eligible for promotion starting January 2026, said MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki.

“Many civil servants are dealing with obesity or excessive weight,” said Azam at a press conference following the handover of duties between the Kelantan MACC’s former and new director, as quoted by Malay Mail.

“When we’re overweight, it affects our appearance, fitness and service delivery to the public.

Just imagine if a government officer is overweight; they won’t be able to perform well and they’ll be at risk of various health problems.”

Given six months to lose weight

Azam has given all officers six months to manage their health, adding that a handout on the matter would be issued the following week.

He also stressed that the measure applies to those with “weight issues”, saying that they will “need to lose weight unless they have underlying medical conditions”.

Same requirement for police officers

“It’s important because departments like the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) have already set a BMI requirement for promotions,” Azam added.

New Straits Times reported that in January, Malaysian Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain announced that officers would have to maintain their BMI below 28 to qualify for promotion.

“I will implement this at the MACC, as we are also an enforcement agency,” Azam said. “I want to make sure our officers are always fit and able to do their job well.”

He also reiterated a previous announcement that personnel in each state have to undergo mandatory health check-ups at government hospitals every three months.

“State and divisional MACC directors have acted on this. If you have a health issue, seek treatment and change your lifestyle.”

What is BMI?

BMI is an estimation of body fat based on one’s height and weight. According to the World Health Organisation, a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered “normal weight”. Obesity is classified as anything above a BMI of 30.0.

The MACC’s benchmark of 27 falls within the "pre-obesity” range, defined as a BMI between 25.0 and 29.9.

According to Malaysia’s National Health and Morbidity Survey, one in two Malaysian adults was overweight or obese in 2024, with close to 60 per cent consuming more than 1 serving of sugary drinks daily.

However, as noted by Harvard Health, BMI alone is an insufficient measure of health. The BMI definitions of obesity were largely based on data from white populations, and a high muscle mass could also throw off the results.

Top image via Unsplash & poklevin vin/Google Maps