PARLIAMENT must intervene to address the allegations against Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Azam Baki, as its oversight panels have refused to do so, said PKR MPs.

The six lawmakers said a cross-partisan parliamentary select committee must be established to investigate claims that the chief commissioner owned shares in a company in 2015 and 2016.

“When statutory panels set up under the law fail to perform their responsibilities, how do we solve the problem? Especially if the government does not replace compromised or ineffective members of such panels.

“We are of the view that Parliament should step in. We propose a multi-partisan, independent investigation team using a select committee be immediately initiated to investigate the allegations.”

The PKR MPs are Fahmi Fadzil (Lembah Pantai), Hasan Karim (Pasir Gudang), Maria Chin Abdullah (Petaling Jaya), R. Sivarasa (Sungai Buloh), Sim Tze Tzin (Bayan Baru) and Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (Ledang).

They said full disclosure of the assets owned by Azam and his family, as well as those owned by any current or former commissioner must be made known to secure the integrity of the anti-graft body.

MACC must also put Azam on a leave of absence pending the probe, they added.

Other immediate actions may include restoring the good name of the MACC (if the claims are untrue), and the establishment of checks and balances, laws, policies and standard operating procedures for the anti-graft body.

Ex-MACC panel member Edmund Terence Gomez has blamed the agency’s Anti-Corruption Advisory Board and Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel for refusing to act on allegations against Azam.

Gomez resigned on Monday, following a lack of action on part of the agency.

His exit comes after a month of writing emails to advisory board chairman Abu Zahar Ujang and panel chief Borhan Dolah.

The six lawmakers said police should also initiate investigations into Azam.

“If MACC oversight panels continue to refuse to investigate, and as MACC itself cannot investigate its own head, police should initiate their own investigation based on all the available information in the public domain.”

Sivarasa had raised the allegations in Parliament on December 14, and urged authorities to investigate. – December 29, 2021.