PETALING JAYA: Attesting that his acquisition of shares worth RM800,000 in a financial services company was done transparently, top graft buster Tan Sri Azam Baki maintained that he did not violate any law in making the acquisition.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner said he had done the necessary, including declaring the transaction and had informed the Chief Secretary to the Government on the matter.
“Everything was done above board. I have declared this and the sources of my income through the Human Resource Management Information System to the Public Service Department,” he said when contacted.
Azam described a news report on the transaction as malicious, pointing out that he had purchased the shares last year and disposed of them within a year.
A foreign news agency reported that Azam was listed as holding 17.7 million shares in Velocity Capital Partner Bhd, citing a corporate filing with the Companies Commission of Malaysia.
Earlier, the MACC said the report on Azam not only affected the image and reputation of its chief commissioner but also unfairly linked it to allegations of wrongdoing, potentially undermining public confidence.
“Asset declarations by public officers are governed by established administrative and governance procedures under the public service framework and are submitted through official channels to the relevant authorities.
“The chief commissioner has fully complied with all applicable asset declaration requirements,” it said in a statement.
The MACC said any suggestion that the chief commissioner had failed to declare assets was factually incorrect and created a misleading impression of the integrity and governance framework governing both the commission and the wider public service.
“We remain committed to upholding trust, integrity and transparency in carrying out our duties and will not compromise in the face of attempts to undermine our credibility through inaccurate and irresponsible reporting,” the commission said.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Corruption Watch (MCW) had expressed its concern over the publication of the report, which it said contained misleading assertions and unsubstantiated insinuations regarding the asset declaration of the chief commissioner.
Its president Jais Abdul Karim said any narrative suggesting a failure to declare assets while disregarding this established framework is factually inaccurate and misleading.
“MCW maintains a consistent position: accountability and transparency must apply to all public officials without exception.
“However, these principles must be upheld through evidence-based scrutiny and lawful processes, not through speculative or incomplete reporting that risks becoming character-driven rather than fact-driven,” he said.
Jais cautioned that repeated attempts to weaken anti-graft institutions through perception-based attacks ultimately serve the interests of those who benefit from a compromised or distracted enforcement environment.
“MCW therefore supports MACC’s position in correcting misleading narratives and reaffirming its commitment to integrity, transparency and public trust in the execution of its statutory mandate,” he said.
In the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran said any further action on Azam will be decided by the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
He said he has been made to understand that an announcement on Azam would be made soon.
Winding up the debate on the motion of thanks for the Royal Address, he urged lawmakers not to jump to conclusion on matters that require investigations.
Earlier, backbenchers had raised questions about Azam with some of the MPs suggesting that he be placed on garden leave.
