Pressure is piling on Prime Minister to suspend Azam Baki

 

AMANAH Youth has reiterated the call for Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commisioner Tan Sri Azam Baki to take leave during the investigation into his shareholdings in some companies while holding office in the anti-graft commission.

Stressing that it was necessary to uphold the principles of good governance and to protect the integrity of the country’s enforcement institutions, Amanah Youth deputy leader Danial Al-Rashid said:

“As the MACC chief commissioner, any controversy that raises public questions should be handled professionally and prudently to avoid perceptions of conflict of interest,” he said.

Yesterday (Feb 16), Azam insisted that he did not need to take leave in response to the matter.

“I don’t need to take leave. If I were to take leave, then how many people currently facing charges in court are still serving in their positions?

“There was even a former finance minister who continued to serve while under investigation. So what’s the problem? Have I committed a crime?” he said.

DAP National Legal Bureau chairman Ramkarpal Singh also insisted that Azam’s case must be investigated by an independent committee whose members have no vested interest in the outcome of the investigation.

Ramkarpal argued that the committee currently lacks investigative powers, such as the authority to submit or obtain documents, or the power to summon and compel the attendance of witnesses, as provided under the Criminal Procedure Code.

On the other hand, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) joined the list of organisations calling for transparency in the case, urging the government to consider mechanisms such as a Royal Commission of Inquiry or a Parliamentary Special Select Committee to investigate the claims against the MACC head.

ABIM president Ahmad Fahmi Mohd Samsudin said both of these mechanisms would be clearly empowered to investigate allegations of a “corporate mafia network” involving senior MACC officials.

He said the fact that the commission cannot investigate its own top leadership demonstrates the need for an independent mechanism to ensure transparency and justice.

The campaign to send Azam on garden leave started when former economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli cautioned the government over its handling of allegations involving the embattled chief.

“We are told we are whining. But change only happens through persistent pressure from the people,” he said when addressing protesters at the “Tangkap Azam Baki” rally on Sunday (Feb 15).

The Pandan MP called on Pakatan Harapan partners, specifically the DAP, to speak up on the matter.

He warned that the issue could become a liability for the government. — Focus Malaysia