Muhyiddin: Azam’s appointment followed procedure

PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has indicated that he does not want to be dragged into the controversy surrounding Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Tan Sri Azam Baki and how he came to be appointed as the agency’s leader.

Muhyiddin said Azam’s appointment as the MACC chief commissioner was done in order and in accordance with procedure after being vetted by a committee led by the Chief Secretary to the Government.

He believed there was no breach of procedure in the appointment of Azam as the MACC chief.

“That was all done by the Chief Secretary to the Government under a committee and I, as the prime minister, agreed before submitting his name to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who later consented to it.

“I don’t think there should be any issues raised by any party on this,” Muhyiddin told a press conference which was aired live on his Facebook page yesterday.

His remarks came after Umno MP Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said had asked on Sunday whether Muhyiddin had checked Azam’s background before his appointment.

Azalina had queried whether due diligence was carried out before Azam was made the MACC chief commissioner in March 2020 during Muhyiddin’s tenure as prime minister.

Allegations had surfaced that Azam owned a substantial number of shares in two companies between 2015 and 2016 when he was the MACC director of investigations.

But Azam had maintained that he did not commit any wrongdoing, saying he had given permission to his younger brother to use his trading account to acquire the shares.