Kit Siang: Azam should volunteer for PSC probe or resign
UPDATED 3.25PM | MACC chief Azam Baki should volunteer himself to testify before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) for Agencies under the Prime Minister's Department or resign, said veteran opposition MP Lim Kit Siang.
In a statement today, Lim said doing so would set a good example for all public servants.
However, Lim said Azam (above), along with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, had...
UPDATED 3.35PM | MACC chief Azam Baki should volunteer himself to testify before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) for Agencies under the Prime Minister's Department or resign, veteran opposition MP Lim Kit Siang said.
In a statement today, Lim said doing so would set a good example for all public servants.
However, Lim said, Azam (above), along with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, had kept mostly silent on allegations of impropriety concerning Azam.
"The continued silence... is most troubling," said Lim, who represents Iskandar Puteri.
According to the 2015 annual report for public-listed company Excel Force MSC Bhd, Azam owned 2,156,000 warrants in the company as of March 21, 2016.
At the material time, Azam was the MACC investigations division director.
The matter was not widely reported until MACC's Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel member Edmund Terence Gomez resigned from the panel.
Gomez resigned in protest, saying his requests for a panel to be convened to discuss the allegations against Azam were ignored.
The PSC for Agencies is headed by Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (PAS-Kuala Krai). He has not indicated if his committee would probe Azam.
Lim: Will PM raise this in the cabinet meeting?
So far, two PSC for Agencies members - Khoo Poay Tiong (Harapan-Kota Melaka) and Chan Foong Hin (Harapan-Kota Kinabalu) - have publicly requested for such a hearing.
Meanwhile, Lim questioned if Ismail Sabri would raise the issue during the cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
"Will there be a cabinet meeting this Wednesday? If not, why was not a cabinet meeting scheduled for Jan 5 as the prime minister has recalled all ministers holidaying overseas to return because of the floods in the country?
"Since we are on the subject, is there any minister who did not return from overseas and continued his or her holidays abroad despite the prime minister's directive? If so, who are they?" Lim asked.
Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo also called on Ismail Sabri to break his silence on Azam.
"Section 2 of the MACC Act clearly states that the key objective of the Act is to encourage integrity and accountability in the public and private sectors through the formation of an independent and responsible anti-corruption body that is the MACC.
"Is the prime minister committed to these objectives and if yes, how can his silence on the allegations about the chief commissioner responsible for the MACC solve the problem?
"The prime minister cannot remain silent on a critical issue such as this," the DAP lawmaker said.
Gobind pointed out that the MACC falls under the purview of the Prime Minister's Department and the prime minister must take responsibility.
"Silence reflects weakness in his handling of this problem... the prime minister must act and show that integrity and accountability are important in the MACC," he added.
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