KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 11 -- Malaysia's anti-graft authorities have quietly clawed back RM900 million from a single company involved in tax evasion, opting for financial recovery over prosecution in what officials say was a pragmatic decision to secure funds for the public purse.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the recovery was achieved through joint action with the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), involving a RM600 million penalty and a RM300 million compound imposed on the unnamed company.

The case has not been publicly announced until now, but Azam said the operation succeeded in returning tax revenue that had been evaded over several years.

"That is just one company, and I cannot n...