IN having Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) head Azam Baki for an audience at Istana Negara, new Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, has affirmed his declaredmission to combat Malaysia’s top scourge: corruption. The royal audience was not the usual protocol-driven one as the king later gave a press conference with Azam next to him. The Agong presented a jar of honey to the MACC chief, with instructions to catch the bees who have been sucking up the nation’s nectar.

Honey is a familiar metaphor in Islam. The Quran exhorts us to be like bees and gather nectar (ilm –knowledge) to turn it into honey (hikmah – wisdom) to benefit mankind. As a child, the Prophet was lowered by a rope down the cliff to gather honey, hence the metaphor. Here, the Agong’s metaphor has the very opposite meaning: to catch the corrupt bees and flies.

In a press conference back in December, shortly after being chosen by his peers to be the 17th Agong, Sultan Ibrahim stated that combating corruption would be his top priority. It was significant that he gave the exclusive interview not to a Malaysian media but Singapore’s The Straits Times, and with a seasoned interviewer. He wanted a wide audience. Being close to the republic’s leaders and seeing what they had achieved has made him even more intolerant of corrupt, incompetent Malaysian officials.

It is worth reminding that Sultan Ibrahim remains the only sultan who did not honour Najib Razak. Sultan Ibrahim has a good nose for corrupt leaders.

He also earlier suggested that MACC report directly to him and not as presently, the Prime Minister. There is considerable merit to that. However, the needed enabling legislation would take time even if there were to be overwhelming political support. However, by singling out the MACC Chief to be the first top official for a royal audience, the Agong has effectively achieved that same end.

Now it is for Azam to rise to the royal challenge. Should there be any political or other interference, he has the palace backing.

That should prevent a repeat of the fate of one of Azam’s predecessors, Abu Kassim Mohamad (2010-16), as well as former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail. They were forced into quiet early retirement by Najib for being too diligent in their 1MDB investigation. Thus far the pair has remained silent. Understandable, considering the fate of one public prosecutor, Kevin Morais, whose mutilated body was found encased in cement in an oil drum. Now that Najib is safely incarcerated, the pair should go public with their findings. As former public servants, they owe it to the nation.

Sultan Ibrahim had also made clear that he would not tolerate the circus of parliamentarians lining up at the palace gate, their statutory declarations in hand, to demand a new government. To Sultan Ibrahim, you change government only with elections, either with the statutory ending of Parliament or a formal vote of no confidence.

Had that principle been adhered to earlier, Malaysia would have been spared the political blight of the hopelessly incompetent Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob

Azam Baki should now recruit the best forensic accountants and investigators. Hire from abroad if necessary. Appoint seasoned outside lawyers as lead prosecutors in the manner of the late Gopal Sri Ram. Push for new laws to discourage corrupt officials from parking their loot abroad. Emulate the USA where citizens have to declare their worldwide assets annually, with their lowest and highest values during the year, and pay taxes on them.

Recommend a “confess and redress” royal commission on corruption, modelled after South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission on past human rights abuses. Thus for a specified period if you were to voluntarily declare your past corrupt deeds, you would be granted amnesty, and the evidence you volunteered could not later be used against you provided that you pay taxes on your illicit gains. You have to be specific with individuals involved, dates, and amounts. That would create a prisoner’s dilemma of sorts among the corrupt. Confess now and you would be spared subsequent prosecution; keep quiet and you risk being exposed by those who have been in cahoots with you.

Such a commission would yield invaluable data and insights into the scale and modus operandi of the corrupt.

With the Agong now publicly backing the MACC, it would be spared the leadership scourge of such characters as Dzulkifli Ahmad. He was the civil servant, who while in the Attorney-General’s office, tipped off then prime minister Najib about the ongoing 1MDB investigation. Najib later appointed him MACC chief, with approval of the then Agong. He was also asked to give a Friday sermon on (yes, you guessed it) the evils of corruption. True to his character, Dzulkifli was later spotted holidaying in Bali with a woman who was other than his wife.That’s the perversion of Islam in Malaysia, another long saga.

Now with Sultan Ibrahim’s commitment and Anwar Ibrahim’s determination, Malaysia may yet get a handle on corruption. That would be the best ever Hari Raya gift to Malaysians. – April 8, 2024.

* M. Bakri Musa reads The Malaysian Insight.