Hamzah questions Azam Baki's appointment as financial crime adviser

 

Opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin has questioned the government’s justification for appointing former MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki as an adviser to the National Financial Crime Centre (NFCC).

Hamzah, who is also the Larut MP, argued that the appointment was questionable when issues involving Azam remain under scrutiny.

“On behalf of the media, I am asking the government what the justification is for appointing Azam as an NFCC adviser when he himself is being investigated regarding several issues,” he said at a press conference in Parliament today.

Hamzah was referring to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s remark in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, in which the premier questioned whom the Parti Wawasan Negara president was representing when raising the issue of the Felda Settlers’ Day celebration.

According to Bernama, Anwar had denied issuing instructions to cancel the celebration, which was scheduled to be held in Kluang, Johor, on June 20 and 21.

“This is a question from the media. Just like what (Anwar) asked me, on whose behalf? On behalf of the media,” Hamzah said.

Former MACC chief Azam Baki (third from right) after an NFCC meeting

Questions regarding Azam’s position in the NFCC advisory board recently arose after he was seen in photos posted by the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ Facebook page over a board meeting on June 30.

Checks by Malaysiakini found a post dated Oct 15, 2025, on the Prime Minister’s Department’s official website mentioning Azam as a board member.

The NFCC website also displays Azam as an advisory board member in his capacity as the former MACC chief commissioner.

Since the post, various quarters, including former Selangor exco Ronnie Liu and MCA Youth deputy chief Mike Chong, have questioned Azam’s presence at the meeting.

Controversial tenure

Yesterday, five PKR MPs urged the government to disclose all findings from investigations into Azam’s shareholdings, after a youth activist group marched to Parliament to hand over a memorandum demanding the establishment of a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to investigate allegations of a “corporate mafia” involving the MACC.

The allegations stemmed from a Bloomberg report in February, quoting sources who claimed a group of businesspersons and senior MACC officials colluded to stage corporate takeovers - which the anti-graft agency denied.

Subsequently, Bloomberg and Malaysiakini separately published exposés revealing that Azam owned shares exceeding civil service limits.

The government set up a special task force to investigate Azam, with the investigation committee’s findings presented at a cabinet meeting on March 11.

In April, government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil said Putrajaya has yet to be informed of any potential action against Azam and declined to disclose details on the committee’s findings.

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Fuel price mechanism

During the press conference, Hamzah urged the government to be more transparent in explaining the fuel pricing mechanism and refrain from questioning the opposition's intentions when raising issues.

Hamzah pointed out that the opposition's role is to ensure that the government's policies and laws meet the needs of the people and align with international best practices.

"Governments change - previously we were the government, then the opposition, then the government again.

"That is why checks and balances must exist so that the law will still be upheld, whoever governs," he said.

Using the Felda issue as an example, Hamzah said he raised it due to its importance to the settlers, not to represent any specific group’s interest.

Number of vehicles by category

On the petrol subsidy mechanism, Hamzah urged the government to provide more detailed information, such as the actual number of vehicles by category eligible for the subsidy.

Hamzah noted that the government had previously announced a subsidy eligibility of up to 300 litres per month before reducing it to 200 litres, adding that the justification that only a small portion of users utilised the full quota was insufficient.

"We want the government to be upfront. State the number of vehicles registered with the Road Transport Department - how many motorcycles, cars, and lorries, so the people can understand the true percentage.

"If you only mention the percentage of those using the subsidy, it does not provide an accurate picture," he said.

He also questioned whether the 200-litre limit is sufficient for those who use their vehicles for work or business.

Besides that, Hamzah requested the government to disclose the formula for pricing at the pump, including calculations for the automatic pricing mechanism (APM) and other costs involved.

He said this was to address the trust deficit between citizens and the government.

"I ask the government to inform us that this is the truly accurate price so that the people are confident they are receiving the proper subsidy.

"Ultimately, we want trust to exist between the people and the government, and not two-way accusations," Hamzah added. - Mkini