The Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister's Department should summon MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki to explain the two-month old allegations against him, which has caused “trust deficit” in government and MACC to drop to an unprecedented level

The Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister's Department should summon MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki to explain the two-month old allegations against him, as the “conspiracy of silence” on the issue has, among other things, caused “trust deficit” in government and MACC to drop to an unprecedented level.

The Special Select Committee should submit its report to Dewan Rakyat on the first day of the first meeting of the fifth session of Parliament from February 28 to 24th March, 2022.

Academician Edmund Terence Gomez has submitted his shock resignation from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel in protest against the Panel’s inaction over the issue.

It is shocking that the Prime Minister and the MACC have taken this issue lightly as no action has been taken for the last two months.

The Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department should step in to demonstrate that this is no trifling matter but goes to the very root of public confidence in the government as a whole and MACC in particular.

In fact, the Parliamentary Special Select Committee should summon all the Chairmen of the five oversight committees of the MACC to ensure that MACC performs its anti-corruption duties - the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board (ACAB), the Special Committee on Corruption (SCC), the Complaints Committee (CC), the Operations Review Panel (ORP) as well as the Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel (CCPP) to explain what their committees have done following the serious allegations against the MACC Chief Commissioner more than two months ago.

The purpose of the five oversight entities are to ensure that the MACC performs its duties in an independent, transparent and professional manner. The Malaysian public expects independence, efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of the MACC in executing its designated legal obligations.

The MACC has failed in this regard relating to the serious allegations made against the MACC Chief Commissioner.

The Parliamentary Select Committee should not only probe the MACC’s failure but make recommendations how this problem could be overcome.