URGENT reforms are needed to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to ensure the agency’s integrity and that it remains credible, activist groups demanded today.

RasuahBusters, the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs, Transparency International Malaysia, the Centre for Combating Cronyism and Corruption (C4), the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, Vote18, and the Malaysian Coalition for Action (GBM) said that the recent allegations against MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki have increased expectations from Malaysians and civil society.

They said the MACC needs to establish and deliver the highest standards of ethics, good governance and independence as a government agency promoting integrity. 

The groups demanded an independent investigation of Azam to be carried out by an independent body not connected to the MACC in order to ensure impartiality.

They also said that they were “gravely concerned” that current oversight of the MACC is dysfunctional in nature.

As such, they reiterated that the government creates an independent anti-corruption commission that will report to Parliament and provide oversight over the anti-graft agency, which should also be renamed.

“We hereby emphasise that it is extremely urgent that these reforms are implemented, as without an independent and robust framework to act on corruption, any anti-corruption agency is doomed to fail.

“We welcome the acceptance of some of our demands by the government and shall continue to pursue the rest until they are fully implemented,” the groups.

RasuahBusters head Hussamuddin Yaacub said that reforms should be made for the sake of a greater focus, which was to clean up the existing system and not just to focus on the Azam case.

“We take the opportunity to make this case as a momentum to provide awareness to all Malaysians.

“It means there is a big problem in the system, so we want to see the whole system cleaned up,” he said.

Azam has been in the spotlight after it was revealed that he had acquired 2.15 million shares in Excel Force MSC Berhad in 2015, as well as 1.93 million shares in Gets Global Berhad in the same year and 1.02 million shares in Gets Global the following year, which he may not have declared.

Azam denied any wrongdoing, saying that the shares were bought by his brother using his account. The MACC advisory panel has also cleared him of any impropriety.

Yesterday, Azam said he would not resign and only the Agong had the power to sack him.

Azam has also filed a defamation suit seeking RM10 million in damages and a public apology from journalist Lalitha Kunaratnam who had revealed his personal finances in two articles last year. – January 13, 2022.