Azam's silence on 'threat' unacceptable, Muda tells police

 

Editor’s Note: Muda acting president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz has clarified that she gave a statement to the police instead of lodging a report as mentioned during her press conference.

Muda acting president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz today expressed concern that no action had been taken by MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki regarding allegations mounted against a senior agency officer.

Speaking to reporters outside Dang Wangi police station, the Puteri Wangsa assemblyperson referred to businessperson Albert Tei’s claim that a senior MACC officer had told him to keep quiet on the scandal.

“How can the chief commissioner, who leads the country’s top enforcement agency in fighting corruption, remain silent on claims that the MACC itself warned someone not to report corruption?” she asked.

She argued that Azam’s failure to act was not only a direct breach of his duty under Section 11 read together with Section 7 of the MACC Act 2009, but could also constitute an offence under Section 217 of the Penal Code.

MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki

“With this, I urge the police to immediately investigate the actions (or inaction) of the MACC chief commissioner in this matter, and to take appropriate action under the law should violations or offences be proven,” she said.

‘Warned by senior MACC officer’

Earlier, Dang Wangi police recorded Amira’s statement in relation to her Aug 28 report against Azam, accusing Azam of failing to act on serious allegations involving a senior agency officer.

“On July 23, I read a Malaysiakini article dated July 22 quoting allegations by Tei, who said he tried to approach the MACC at the end of October 2024 to expose information about a mining scandal in Sabah, but was warned by a senior MACC officer not to do so.

“A follow-up article on July 23 reported that Tei was prepared to name the officer, provided he was first given whistleblower protection.

“This is a very serious matter - a breach of trust, a violation of duty under Section 217 of the Penal Code. This constitutes a criminal offence under the law,” she told a press conference today.

Albert Tei

Malaysiakini reported on July 23 that Tei was ready to name the MACC officer who warned him not to expose the Sabah mining scandal, but wanted whistleblower protection first.

Previously, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M Kulasegaran, who had urged Tei to file an official report and assured that the government would not compromise on any intimidation of whistleblowers.

Tei’s lawyer, Mahajoth Singh, however, cautioned that such assurances must be viewed carefully, given his client’s past experiences. - Mkini