Five PKR MPs demand disclosure of Azam shareholding probe findings

Five PKR MPs have urged the government to disclose all findings from investigations into former MACC chief Azam Baki’s shareholdings.

Subang MP Wong Chen said that two investigations have taken place on the issue, but none of the findings has been made public.

He argued that this should be remedied either through full public disclosure or, at the very least, scrutiny by a parliamentary committee.

“Not answering (questions on the issue) or not moving forward, or not investigating or revealing the investigation done is not good governance on the part of the Madani government,” he stressed during a press conference in Parliament this morning.

Also present were Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim and Sungai Siput MP S Kesavan.

The two other PKR lawmakers who endorsed the statement were Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail and Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung.

Call for RCI

Wong said they were responding to the memorandum he had received from youth activist group #RCINOW Secretariat and 51 NGOs outside of Parliament yesterday.

“I think the activists are right. Someone retiring doesn’t mean that whatever was done previously is enough,” he said, referring to the expiry of Azam’s contract as the MACC’s chief on May 12.

#RCINOW Secretariat, formerly known as the #TangkapAzamBaki Secretariat, along with NGO representatives, marched to Parliament yesterday to demand that Putrajaya establish a royal commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of a “corporate mafia” involving the MACC.

The allegations stemmed from a Bloomberg report in February, quoting sources who claimed there was collusion between a group of businesspersons and senior MACC officials to stage corporate takeovers - claims which the anti-graft agency denied.

Subsequently, Bloomberg and Malaysiakini separately published exposés revealing that Azam owned shares exceeding limits placed on civil servants.

The government set up a special task force to investigate Azam, with the investigation committee’s findings presented at a cabinet meeting on March 11.

In April, government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil said Putrajaya has yet to be informed of any potential action against Azam, while declining to disclose details on the committee’s findings.

‘Name and shame’ campaign

Commenting further, Wong called on the NGOs behind the memorandum to launch a “name and shame” campaign involving all MPs.

He suggested giving all 220 Dewan Rakyat members seven days to publicly state whether they support an RCI into the allegations.

“We note that an RCI can be instituted on the advice of the prime minister, and that if more than 51 percent of MPs support the RCI, the prime minister will be obligated to recommend an RCI to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

“We appreciate and wish to also highlight the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s zero-tolerance stance against corruption,” he added.

In return, Wong urged the NGOs to support the MPs’ push to strengthen parliamentary oversight over appointments to the office of the public prosecutor.

He revealed that he, Hassan, Kesavan, and several other MPs met Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said, and senior Attorney-General’s Chambers officials on June 25.

“We proposed to them our amendments. We are now waiting for the response on those draft amendments,” he said.

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