The National Financial Crime Prevention Centre (NFCC) today clarified that former MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki was present at the centre's advisory board meeting on June 30 as he remains a legitimate member.
In a statement, NFCC director-general Shamsun Baharin Jamil said Azam (above) was appointed as an NFCC Advisory Board member by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sept 20, 2024, for a period of three years.
"The appointment was made in his individual capacity with the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“Therefore, his membership in the NFCC Advisory Board is not tied to his position as MACC chief commissioner and remains valid until the expiry of his appointment term, unless it is terminated earlier by the Agong.
"Accordingly, Azam's attendance at the NFCC Advisory Board meeting on June 30 was in accordance with Act 822, as he remains a legitimate member of the board," he said.
Criticisms from various quarters
The clarification came amid criticisms raised by several quarters on Azam's presence at the meeting, of which photos were uploaded on the Attorney-General's Chambers' Facebook page on June 30.
Among them was opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin, who questioned the government’s justification for appointing Azam as an adviser to the centre.
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 told a press conference in Parliament yesterday.
Another critic was former Selangor exco Ronnie Liu, who also raised questioned the status of the internal probe into Azam when he was serving in the MACC.
"What happened to the investigation report? Why no RCI (royal commission of inquiry) on Azam and corporate mafia?" he asked on Facebook.
Meanwhile, Azam stated that he was appointed as an NFCC adviser due to his 37 years of experience serving in an enforcement agency, not because he had held the MACC chief commissioner job.
“Therefore, anyone who has an issue with my appointment should get their facts from the NFCC or ask me first,” Berita Harian reported him as saying. - Mkini
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