Azam has become his own worst enemy in believing that “by now, people realise the accusations against him are unfounded” and that he had become a victim of a campaign against him

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Commissioner Azam Baki has become his own worst enemy in believing that “by now, people realise the accusations against him are unfounded” and that he had become a victim of a campaign against him.

This is clear in an exclusive interview he gave to Sunday Star yesterday.

Azam should know that if is true that “by now, people realise the accusations against him are unfounded”, why no one even in government has come to his defence publicly?

In fact, the whole problem would have been resolved already.

But the reverse is the case.

By now, more people are convinced that he had things to hide for his failure to be the prime example of integrity, probity and accountability in the public service and his inability to clear himself of the conflict-of-interest allegations made against him for over three months.

His quibbling over “subpoena” and “invitation” to explain his refusal to appear before a parliamentary select committee which would have provided him with a forum to clear himself of conflict-of-interest allegations had only compounded his problems.

Is Azam aware that he has created the worst crisis of confidence in the history of the country’s anti-corruption agency where Malaysians have lost all confidence in the MACC to fight corruption, which was supported by the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2020 and 2021 where Malaysia dropped five points in score and 11 points in rank in two years – the worst two years in TI CPI in the last 27 years since 1995?

If the TI CPI 2022 continues to drop further in both score and rank, what will Azam do?

If Azam cherishes the reputation of the MACC Chief Commissioner and MACC for integrity, probity and accountability, he would not have blocked or stonewalled the opportunity to be the prime example of integrity, probity and accountability for over three months.

Is Azam capable to clearing himself of the conflict-of-interest allegations in the next fortnight before Parliament reconvenes on Feb. 28, so that the Prime Minister Ismail Sabri can proudly tell Parliament that the Chief Commissioner of MACC is a model example of integrity, probity and accountability in the public service in Malaysia?