MACC chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad, under whose stint the nation has seen many high profile graft-related arrests, said his work style is inspired by 2015 Hindi blockbuster "Gabbar is Back."

Speaking to reporters today, Dzulkifli however, said he is "smarter" than the character, played by Akshay Kumar, as he does not choose certain days to go after the corrupt.

"I am smarter than this Gabbar because I don't catch people only on Fridays. If I did, they would run away and the media would only come (once a week).

"Arrests (in MACC now) are made on Mondays, Tuesdays and any other days, this way, there is more suspense," he said. Dzulkifli took over as MACC chief in August last year.

The movie is about a vigilante graft-buster who captures and kills his targets every Friday.

Dzulkifli said the number of arrests made by his officers had made them appear "more serious" and shows that they take no nonsense.

"This image has become a trademark. MACC officers have also become celebrities as we are on the news every day, we are 'tengah laku' (in high demand)," he quipped.

Dzulkifli had previously shrugged off suggestions of him harbouring political or celebrity ambitions, explaining that his publicity blitzes were part of his job to garner the public's support.

Earlier, Dzulkifli launched MACC's own stage play, "Bahara Emas" (a bahara of gold) at Istana Budaya today.

The 90-minute play, which will run from Oct 19 to 22 at the DBP Auditorium in Kuala Lumpur, will be based on the tale of how greed, manipulation, and a power play by members of the Malacca Sultanate in the 1500s allowed the Portuguese to start trading in the kingdom, which later led to a full-blown invasion and the sultanate's collapse.

Bahara is an old measurement unit in Malay, where one bahara is equivalent to 123 kilograms.

According to Dzulkifli, the play is a "fresh approach" by the commission to educate the public on graft.

"MACC's role is not just to catch (the corrupt) but to educate the public to reject graft.

"We can relay this message through theatre as the script will communicate our message, as it is filled with (themes about) the dangers and consequences of corruption," he told reporters after the launch of the play at Istana Budaya today.

The audience can learn from the play, how corruption brought down a kingdom, he added.

Dzulkifli said he hoped the play would capture the hearts of the people enough, for them to better appreciate the anti-graft commission's role in the society.

"We want the rakyat to feel close to the MACC.

“We feel that the MACC should be an agency and apparatus for the people. We are the voice of the people. We want to protect the people from being betrayed by those given the mandate to govern,” he said.

The play is directed by veteran playwright and National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (Aswara) theatre faculty dean Rosminah Mohd Tahir, and will star Jalaluddin Hassan, Esma Daniel, singer Farahdhiya Amir, Izzue Islam, Mardiana Alwi, Kumpulan Forteen members and others. Suhaimi Mohd Zain, popularly known as Pak Ngah, will serve as music director.

Tickets are free for the show, which is jointly produced by MACC, CTRA Production, DBP, Aswara and Istana Budaya.