PETALING JAYA: Allegations of a “corporate mafia” network linked to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) have triggered calls from leaders across the political divide for a probe into the anti-graft agency and its chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki.
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic) said that the latest “corporate mafia” issue demands serious public attention, as corruption must not be taken lightly.
He said that a thorough and transparent investigation must be carried out into the MACC because if the allegations are true, they could have wider repercussions on the Malaysian economy.
Similarly, PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar said the police should focus their investigation on Azam instead of Bloomberg, which published the claims in two articles.
On Feb 11, Bloomberg published an article titled “Who’s Watching Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Watchdog?”, detailing allegations that a group of businessmen, allegedly working with certain MACC officers, had pressured corporate figures in takeover cases.
The report later described this situation as a “corporate mafia” network.
On Feb 13, Bukit Aman’s Criminal Investigation Department confirmed that they were probing Bloomberg over alleged defamation after two police reports were lodged.
Azam has strongly denied the allegations and has filed a lawsuit against Bloomberg, seeking RM100mil in damages.
A Special Investigation Committee led by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Bakar was recently set up to investigate the allegations against Azam.
On Feb 24, the MACC also strongly denied allegations of a “corporate mafia”.
It said that the claims were believed to have originated from an online blog with no identifiable owner, author or clear accountability.
