Azam didn’t overstep authority in clearing minister’s husband, says Anwar

 

On May 27, MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said the agency would not probe the possible conflict of interest in the Selangor government’s appointment of a company linked to the husband of a minister.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Azam Baki did not overstep his authority in stating that it was not a crime for a minister’s husband to be awarded a tender by a state government, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

In a written parliamentary reply, Anwar said Section 5(5) of the MACC Act 2009 states that the MACC chief commissioner is responsible for the direction, control, and supervision of all matters relating to the anti-graft agency, including its operations and investigations.

“Meanwhile, Section 5(6) states that the MACC chief commissioner shall also have the powers of a deputy public prosecutor as authorised by the public prosecutor for the purposes of this Act,” he said.

Anwar was responding to a question from Hassan Karim (PH-Pasir Gudang) on whether Azam had acted beyond his jurisdiction by clearing the minister’s husband, arguing that Azam is “only the head of an investigative agency, not the attorney-general or a public prosecutor.”

On May 27, Azam said the agency would not probe the possible conflict of interest in the Selangor government’s appointment of a company linked to the husband of youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh for a transit system.

Questions arose on the possibility of preferential treatment and conflict of interest following revelations that Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd (Asia Mobiliti) was one of two companies the state government had given the project to without going through an open tender.

The company’s CEO, Ramachandran Muniandy, is Yeoh’s husband.

Azam said it was not an offence for Asia Mobiliti to be awarded a contract by the Selangor government as “there is no wrongdoing if a person receives a contract or any type of benefit from an agency or entity not related to them”.

On May 31, a MACC source said it had uncovered new leads in the case and had opened an investigation to determine the authenticity of the information.

The source said a “holistic investigation” was being held to look into issues of abuse of power and governance in terms of financial compliance in the Selangor government’s process in appointing the company.

MACC deputy chief commissioner Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya confirmed the investigation when contacted and urged the public not to speculate on the case. - FMT