Maszlee alleges staff facing intimidation from MACC

Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik has alleged that intimidation tactics are being used against his staff members by MACC officers following his involvement in demonstrations against MACC chief Azam Baki.

“I feel like I should bring to public attention that I am currently being intimidated.

“MACC officers are intimidating my staff in Simpang Renggam, as well as those who have helped me (in the past),“ he said.

He claimed that the MACC officers were investigating him based on reports made against him, allegedly over activities carried out during his time as the Simpang Renggam MP as well as during his stint as education minister.

“They (MACC officers) said there were reports (made) against me. What reports?

“For education programmes? Programmes to educate the rakyat and encourage students to read and go to school?

“Are these (programmes) a dosa (sin) to the MACC?” he questioned, during a presser outside the Dangi Wangi district police station today.

Maszlee was called in for questioning under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 regarding his involvement with demonstrations held by PKR Youth and the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) that took place outside the Parliament building on Jan 20.

He was accompanied by his lawyer Roger Chan Weng Keng and claimed that the police acted professionally during his questioning.

However, the former education minister maintained that he should not be the one being questioned, but the one with “millions worth of shares in his account, allegedly owned by his brother”, referring to Azam Baki.

Azam came under the spotlight over his ownership of close to two million shares in a public-listed company between 2015 and 2016.

The share ownership had raised questions on whether it was commensurate with his income as a public servant and conflict of interest concerns.

Azam has denied wrongdoing.

Demonstrations and rallies

Since then, multiple demonstrations and rallies highlighting Azam’s ownership controversy, most demanding thorough investigation into the allegations against Azam as well as his resignation.

Maszlee joins a chorus of other opposition MPs who have been called in over such events, Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil and Petaling Jaya MP who were questioned yesterday over the same Jan 20 event.

Among the demands in the memorandum by PKR Youth was to suspend Azam from his role as MACC chief and for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to look into the share ownership scandal.

Muda’s memorandum on the other hand highlighted the climate crisis faced by Malaysia, as displayed by the recent nationwide floods. - Mkini