Cabinet must reject the MACC statement for 5-point drop in score from 53 to 48 and 11-point drop in rank in two years in TI CPI 2021, the worst two years in 27 years of TI CPI and sack Azam Baki for incompetence and poor performance as MACC Chief Commissioner

The Cabinet must reject the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) statement for 5-point drop in score from 53 to 48 and 11-point drop in rank in two years in TI CPI 2021, the worst two years in 27 years of TI CPI and sack Azam Baki for incompetence and poor performance as MACC Chief Commissioner.

The time has come to appoint a new MACC Chief Commissioner whose KPI (key performance indicator) includes raising Malaysia’s score and ranking in the annual TI CPI.

The MACC statement after the release of the TI CPI 2021 that the MACC would review the findings of the annual CPI and propose recommendations and called on the people’s “continued co-operation to help us curb corruption”.

The MACC must be told in no uncertain terms that “Enough is Enough” and that the time for statements which said “sweet nothings” and “clever after the event” are over.

In the TI CPI 2021 released yesterday, Malaysia ranked No. 62 with a score of 48, losing in two years 11 rungs in ranking and five points in score as compared to the TI CPI 2019 – the worst two-year performance of the MACC and previously Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) since Transparency International started its annual CPI series in 1995, as follows:

Malaysia’s score had fallen below 50 points or the rough equivalent of 5 points out of 10 before 2012 in 10 out of the past 27 years, and eight of these ten years were after 2009.

The worst is yet to come as Malaysia’s TI CPI 2021 had not taken into account Azam-gate which had rocked the nation for almost a month, as it was too recent a development to be an input in the TI CPI 2021.

Malaysia’s score and ranking would be even lower if Azam-gate had been fully incorporated into the TI CPI 2021.

Heads must roll in the MACC for this dismal TI CPI for two consecutive years – 2020 and 2021.

First, Azam has proved himself not to be an example of integrity, probity and accountability on Azam-gate on the issue of his shareholding and the conflict-of-interest allegations first made publicly three months ago.

I am still keeping on open mind on the issue but his refusal to appear before the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department to clear himself of the conflict-of-interest allegations and his arrogant and “high-and-mighty” attitude in the last one month since the resignation of academician Edmund Terence Gomez from the MACC’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel at the end of last year has condemned him as unfit for high office.

Now there is the evidence of his dismal performance as MACC Chief Commissioner since his appointment in March 2020 as reflected in the TI CPI 2020 and TI CPI 2021 which are the worst two years in the nation’s anti-corruption efforts for the past three decades.

Is Azam prepared to appear before the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department to be questioned about his poor performance and failures as MACC Chief Commissioner and defend himself against the TI CPI 2020 and TI CPI 2021?

I am issuing this statement several hours before the Cabinet meeting today, so that the highly-paid Ministers in the jumbo-sized Cabinet will not act like the proverbial three monkeys of having eyes that see not, ears that hear not and mouths that speak not as they did at last week’s Cabinet meeting on Azam-gate.

After the worst two years in the TI CPI for 2020 and 2021, Malaysians expect the Cabinet to act.

Or will the Cabinet again be like the proverbial three monkeys later today?