Anti-graft activist questions Azam's contract extension
KUALA LUMPUR : Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism chairman Edmund Terence Gomez has voiced concern over Azam Baki's reappointment as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner, citing previous claims of a conflict of interest involving Azam's alleged ownership of corporate stock.
Speaking at the launch of his book, 'Misgovernance: Grand Corruption In Malaysia' here today, Gomez said Azam had refused to attend a parliamentary select committee (PSC) meeting to question him over his share dealings in January 2022.
Gomez, who quit an MACC panel in 2021 after it failed to discuss reports implicating the anti-graft agency's top leaders, also spoke of a growing public discourse on selective prosecution, warning that such perceptions would undermine trust in MACC.
'I didn't say it. It's coming from others. But the very fact that these allegations are being made is a red flag,' he said.
'If MACC were truly independent, there wouldn't be any question of selective prosecution.
'If you want to do away with this talk of selective prosecution, give us an MACC chief who is known to be independent … and is selected very carefully through an open and transparent process.'
Last Friday, Chief Secretary Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar said Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim had consented to Azam's reappointment for a one-year term effective May 13.
The contract of Azam, who took office in March 2020, was previously extended twice. He was given a one-year extension on May 10, 2023, and another one-year extension last year.
Azam, who was then deputy chief commissioner, took the top job in 2020 following the resignation of Latheefa Koya after the fall of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.
In late 2021, Azam made headlines following allegations that he owned shares and warrants. He denied any wrongdoing, although several watchdog groups and PH leaders called for an investigation.
In January 2022, the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board cleared Azam of any wrongdoing over his purchase of corporate shares after Azam explained that his share account was used by his brother, Nasir, to purchase shares in which he (Azam) had no pecuniary interest.
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