Govt secrecy over MACC probe risks public trust - C4 Center, Bersih

The government’s refusal to disclose the findings of investigations against the MACC risks further eroding public confidence in the country’s criminal justice system, said the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center) and Bersih.

The two groups expressed disappointment with Putrajaya’s handling of the probe into former MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki’s shareholding controversy, as well as allegations of a “corporate mafia” operating in collusion with the anti-graft agency.

“The government’s insistence on secrecy adds another layer of obfuscation, further cementing the perception that the government has something to hide.

“Transparency is imperative to reassure the public that these allegations are being investigated in a fair and impartial manner,” they said in a joint statement today,

The statement came after Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said stated on July 7 that any list of Azam’s shares cannot be publicly disclosed.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said

In a written parliamentary reply to Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, Azalina said that the data is part of investigation documents, while personal information and asset declarations are protected by law.

“However, the government assures that all relevant aspects, including share ownership and compliance with the regulations in force, have been examined in the investigation and appropriate action has been taken based on the findings of the committee,” she said.

Azalina also said that any decision to establish a royal commission of inquiry to probe the “corporate mafia” allegations would depend on the legal process and findings of ongoing investigations.

‘Bare assertions not enough’

C4 Center and Bersih, however, criticised the move, questioning how the public could trust the government’s guarantee based on bare assertions.

The groups argued that the committee’s findings could still be made public through an executive summary with sensitive personal information redacted, similar to how the RCI report on Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks, and South Ledge was released in 2024.

“This sort of proactive transparency can and should be performed by an administration that claims to have zero tolerance for corruption, so why does the government insist on keeping these findings hidden from the public eye?” they added.

C4 Center and Bersih further claimed that the credibility of the investigating committee had been compromised from the get-go as it comprised members of the executive branch, including the attorney-general, the Public Service Department director-general, and the Treasury secretary-general.

Repeated calls for RCI

The groups also said Azalina’s statement that the government remained open to considering an RCI to investigate the “corporate mafia” allegations “if deemed necessary in the public interest” failed to address the issue at hand, asking how it is not already a matter of public interest.

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“How is it not in the public interest to comprehensively investigate allegations that officers within the primary Malaysian anti-corruption law enforcement agency have colluded with businesspersons to perform targeted harassment for a price?” they asked.

The groups also questioned whether the MACC could independently investigate itself over misconduct allegations, saying an external inquiry was necessary to ensure impartiality and restore public confidence.

C4 Center and Bersih then reiterated their calls for the government to publish the findings of the investigation into Azam’s shareholding, take the appropriate action if there were criminal elements, and establish an RCI to examine broader allegations of impropriety against the MACC. - Mkini