Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Special Operations Divison (SOD) director, Datuk Bahri Mohamad Zain has applied for early retirement since May, last year.

According to MACC Deputy Chief of Operation, Datuk Azam Baki it was his personal choice and no one had forced it on him.

Bahri, 58 had opted to retire three years early.

"No one had forced to retire, like some quarters claimed, that is not true, never happened ... it was entirely his personal choice.

"He had expressed his plan to retire since last May," said Azam when contacted by Astro AWANI here today.

Azam also had denied a report by a news portal that Bahri had allegedly made the decision 'as he felt as if he had sinned 30 million Malaysians'.

"We have contacted him and he has denied issuing such statement to the news portal," he said.

A news portal today reported that Bahri had opted for early retirement although his term is due in three years.

Bahri played a crucial role in the probe of SRC International (SRC), a subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).