EX-MALAYSIAN Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) panel member Edmund Terence Gomez knew that chief commissioner Azam Baki’s ownership of corporate shares would be raised in Parliament, so he pushed for the matter to be immediately addressed.

Sungai Buloh MP R. Sivarasa had brought up the issue in the Dewan Rakyat on December 14, prompting Gomez to write to his superior, Borhan Dolah, on the MACC Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel.

Gomez had in his letter called for an immediate meeting to attend to the allegations against Azam.

“It has been nearly three weeks since I wrote to you asking when our panel will be meeting to discuss the matter that I raised with you. Since this is an urgent matter, I was expecting this meeting to be held soon,” he wrote.

“This matter will be raised in Parliament this week. It will be very embarrassing for us, the members of this panel, if we are asked why we did not look into this matter since we are aware of it.”

Gomez resigned from the panel on Monday, and released his correspondence with Borhan and Anti-Corruption Advisory Board chairman Abu Zahar Ujang to the media today.

The political economist had written to Abu Zahar, informing him of the matter and calling for a joint meeting between his and the latter’s groups.

Gomez said it has been three weeks since he first wrote to the chairman. It appears that his emails have been met with silence.

“I had also asked that you acknowledge that you received my letter. Since this is an urgent matter, I was expecting that you would respond promptly,” he wrote.

Sivarasa had brought up the matter of Azam’s alleged ownership of shares in Gets Global Berhad in 2015 and 2016.

Gomez had informed Borhan of his intention to resign if he did not receive a response in his emails on December 14, and informed Abu Zahar of the same.

At this time, it had been about a month since the matter was brought to the attention of both MACC bodies’ heads.

According to the correspondence shared with the media, Gomez first wrote to Abu Zahar on November 10, conveying his concerns that MACC has been receiving bad publicity due to the allegations against Azam.

A Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) staff had compiled the information against the chief commissioner, and Gomez is C4 chairman – something that he had also told Abu Zahar.

Gomez had suggested that Abu Zahar’s board, Borhan’s panel and other oversight panels meet to discuss the information concerning the chief commissioner.

“Given how serious this matter is, I hope you are willing to consider my suggestion that all members of the advisory board and three panels meet to collectively discuss it.

“I suggest this because, to my mind, I find MACC staff to be people who are deeply committed to eradicating corruption in Malaysia. We, as members of the board and panels, are duty-bound to ensure they are properly defended when such serious allegations arise.

“We have a responsibility to Malaysian citizens to protect the integrity of the MACC. Our credibility is at stake if we do not look into this matter and make a public response about it.”

Gomez wrote to Borhan two days later, attaching a copy of the email he sent to Abu Zahar on November 10.

In his November 12 email, Gomez seems to have already requested for a meeting in the panel’s WhatsApp group earlier in the week.

The political economist also proposed that the advisory board and oversight panels make a collective public statement on the matter.

Gomez received a brief reply from Borhan on the same day, stating: “Dear prof, we will (sic) into having a meeting of our panel and advised (sic) MACC accordingly.”

However, after no action or response regarding the meet, Gomez, again, wrote to Abu Zahar and Borhan on November 26.

By that time, he had been given more reports regarding the business ties, which he also attached in his emails to the two heads.

“I am deeply worried about these allegations. To my mind, the MACC has to make an official response on this matter as it has been reported in the press.”

The final correspondence shared to the media are Gomez’s emails to Abu Zahar and Borhan on December 14, cautioning them that the matter will be raised in Parliament.

Borhan, in responding to Gomez’s resignation, said the latter had never mentioned Azam’s alleged wrongdoing in his emails.

Gomez said it is “disingenuous’ of his ex-boss to have ignored the fact that all the details about the chief commissioner were furnished in separate documents attached to his emails.

Gomez started his two-year term on the panel on June 1 last year.

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has called for a parliamentary select committee on corruption and abuses/wastage of public funds to conduct an investigation into the allegations against Azam.

Pejuang said Azam should be placed on garden leave pending the investigation. – December 29, 2021.