Abu Zahar: I am prepared to be investigated

PUTRAJAYA: The Anti-Corruption Advisory Board chairman, under fire for how he handled allegations against the anti-graft agency’s chief, says he is willing to be investigated for any wrongdoing.

Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang also shared with the media communications between him and three board members on Jan 7 after he had absolved Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki of any wrongdoing in the latter’s shares controversy.

He said the board members, despite them agreeing to have a meeting that was scheduled to convene yesterday, had held that meeting without him.

He said he deeply regretted the move by the board members to issue a statement distancing themselves from his statement on Azam, claiming they had only done so due to a backlash from the public and certain groups.

In his second press conference in eight days, Abu Zahar said that he had received a WhatsApp message from Datuk Seri Azman Ujang on Jan 7 at 6.19pm, where the board member said, “The issue is getting hotter and hotter.”

At 6.22pm, another board member, Datuk David Chua Kok Tee, responded to Azman’s text: “LPPR (the advisory board) need to meet and discuss this matter urgently and come up with a clear statement to state its position by early next week. Keep (sic) silent is not an option.”

At 6.27pm, board member Tan Sri Ismail Omar apparently texted: “Yes. We’re meeting on Jan 11. Need to address relevant issues.”

“Following their views and requests, I then agreed to call for a closed-door meeting at the MACC Academy at Jalan Duta on Jan 11 (yesterday) at 10am,” Abu Zahar told the media.

He added that on Jan 8, he discovered that all six board members had held a meeting among themselves without informing him and later issued a media statement.

“I deeply regret the statement issued by the six board members. I would like to state here that I am prepared to be investigated by any authority at any time,” he said.

Abu Zahar said he has always maintained the importance of the MACC in getting the support of the people in the fight against corruption and abuse of power, without fear or favour.

Aside from Ismail, Chua and Azman, the three other members of the anti-corruption advisory board are Datuk Dr Hamzah Kassim, Datuk Seri Akhbar Satar and Prof Datuk Dr Mohammad Agus Yusoff.

The appointments of Abu Zahar and the six other advisory board members took effect on May 21, 2020, and will run until May 20, 2023.

On Jan 8, the six had issued a statement, distancing themselves from the statement made by Abu Zahar over the shares controversy implicating Azam.

They said they were not satisfied with the explanation given by Azam, despite Abu Zahar saying otherwise during the press conference last week.

“We categorically wish to state that the board members at that meeting or at any time thereafter did not express such opinion as he attributed to,” the six said in their statement.

They added the comments made by Abu Zahar were his personal views and a separate discussion was held on the matter with several proposals given.

This came after Abu Zahar, on Jan 5, said there was no pecuniary interest or conflict of interest on the part of Azam over the issue of him acquiring shares in two companies in 2015.

Azam had said that he had not bought the shares but he had allowed his younger brother to use his trading account to acquire them.

The board had called for a meeting on Nov 24 last year and had summoned Azam to explain the allegations.