AZAM Baki’s appointment as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner was proposed by the chief secretary to the government, former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said.

He said Azam’s appointment was done by a committee headed by the chief secretary to the government.

“The chief secretary proposed a name, I did not. He proposed (Azam’s name)... he is deserving and fulfilled the criteria, the process was correct and orderly. So don’t link the process to his (current) case,” Muhyiddin said.

“The (appointment) was consented by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and I don’t think there was a mistake in the appointment procedure, that is the purview of the chief secretary and the committee.”

The Pagoh MP said this after chairing the National Recovery Council meeting in Putrajaya today.

As prime minister, Muhyiddin said he had consented to the proposal to appoint Azam as the MACC chief and subsequently presented the proposal to the king.

“He was appointed during my time (as prime minister) when there was a vacancy after the previous commissioner resigned. The position had to be filled but I was not the one who appointed (him),” Muhyiddin said.

“The appointment is according to the rules. Important appointments like this one are not done easily and have to undergo a process which is approved by the committee.”

Pengerang MP Azalina Othman Said questioned yesterday whether Muhyiddin had done the necessary checks before appointing Azam as the chief commissioner of the MACC in March 2020.

The special adviser to the prime minister (law and human rights), said she presumed that background checks would have been done prior to Azam’s appointment.

She also questioned whether Azam’s issue was raised with the MACC Special Complaints Committee before or during his appointment.

Azam told the media on January 5 that he had allowed his brother, Nasir, to purchase shares from two companies, using his trading account.

The anti-graft agency chief, however, said the shares were later transferred to Nasir.

This issue was also raised in Parliament on December 14 by Sungai Buloh MP R. Sivarasa who questioned whether Azam had declared the alleged 2.15 million shares owned in Excel Force MSC Bhd in 2015, as well as 1.93 million shares in Gets Global Bhd the same year and 1.02 million shares the following year.

Azam had also said he had informed his superiors in 2015 about the purchase of the shares by his brother and there were no concerns raised. – January 10, 2022.