Don resigns from MACC panel in protest of inaction against Azam Baki
A member of the MACC’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel, Edmund Terence Gomez, has resigned in protest of the panel’s inaction against MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki’s alleged ownership of close to two million shares in a public listed company.
Gomez (above) said he had first brought the matter to the attention of the panel’s chairperson Borhan Dolah on Nov 12 and had urged him to convene a meeting to discuss the “critical issue of national interest”.
Though Borhan had initially responded immediately and agreed to convene the panel, the meeting never materialised.
A member of the MACC’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel, Edmund Terence Gomez, has resigned in protest of the panel’s inaction against MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki’s alleged ownership of close to two million shares in a public listed company.
Gomez (above) said he had first brought the matter to the attention of the panel’s chairperson Borhan Dolah on Nov 12 and had urged him to convene a meeting to discuss the “critical issue of national interest”.
Though Borhan had initially responded immediately and agreed to convene the panel, the meeting never materialised.
Gomez said he wrote two more times to Borhan about this matter and had attached more information he received about the business links of Azam’s family.
He had also noted to Borhan that the website that had first published the allegations against Azam had been hacked after the articles were uploaded.
However, he did not receive any responses to either of the letters.
Forced to submit resignation
His last letter to Borhan was on Dec 14, in which he said he would be forced to submit his resignation from the panel if he did not hear from Borhan on this matter.
“It is now two weeks since I sent you this letter.
“I have no choice but to submit my resignation which should be seen as my protest at the delay on your part, as chairperson of the Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel, to convene a meeting to discuss an issue that this panel is duty-bound to review.
“Moreover, by not acting on these reports involving the sitting chief commissioner of the MACC, this inaction by us, advisers to this anti-corruption institution, constitutes a serious dereliction of duty to the nation,” Gomez said in his resignation letter to Borhan – dated Dec 27, 2021 – which was sighted by Malaysiakini.
Gomez, who is a professor of political economy at Universiti Malaya, also described the delay in convening a meeting on this issue as being “unconscionable” and “extremely irresponsible”.
Malaysiakini has contacted Azam for comments.
Previously, Sungai Buloh MP R Sivarasa had filed an urgent motion seeking the Dewan Rakyat to discuss Azam’s alleged ownership of close to two million shares in a public listed company.
Sivarasa had alleged that between 2015 and 2016, when Azam was the MACC’s investigation director, he had become the owner of 930,000 shares in Gets Global Bhd as at April 30, 2015 and a further 1,029,000 shares as at March 31, 2016.
The MP also claimed that, as of March 21, 2016, Azam also owned 2,156,000 warrants in public listed Excel Force MSC Bhd, while his younger brother owned 3,728,000 shares in Gets Global.
Sivarasa had noted that public servants are barred from owning more than RM100,000 value of shares in any company.
Public officers are also required to declare all their assets to their heads of departments under the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993.
Conflict-of-interest
In his resignation letter, Gomez had also said it was “equally disturbing” that there were reports claiming a former MACC chief commissioner was also involved in a conflict-of-interest situation.
This suggests a trend in the MACC institution that must be investigated promptly, he said.
Gomez said he has also written to MACC’s Anti-Corruption Advisory Board chairperson Abu Zahar Nika Ujang on three occasions, providing Abu Zahar with the same information he provided Borhan.
Abu Zahar has not responded to his letters.
“I am also extremely disappointed that the advisory board has not met to discuss this matter, even after it was brought up in Parliament on Dec 14 and widely reported in the media,” Gomez said.
He also noted that Azam has yet to respond publicly to the allegations against his business interests.
“This deafening silence on the part of the chief commissioner, although a serious allegation has been made about his conduct, further indicates why the advisory panel, as well as the Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel, should meet to discuss this matter,” he said.
Gomez said he “deeply regrets” that he was not able to convince Borhan and Abu Zahar to act on this matter.
He added that he had hoped he could contribute to a joint effort to look into the allegations and determine how the integrity and credibility of the MACC can be protected.
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