Azam cannot continue to play the “blind, deaf and mute” game and selectively decide to ignore pertinent questions about the transparency, accountability and effectiveness of the MACC

Yesterday, I challenged the lame excuse of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner, Azam Baki that the MACC needs more time for its investigation into the troubled RM9 billion littoral combat ship (LCS) project.

Azam had told a press conference on Thursday that the anti-graft agency needed some time to summon more witnesses, including a few who were overseas.

I said Azam had clearly got “time management” problems as MACC had more than a decade to act on the RM9 billion LCS scandal.

I queried his silence to my repeated questioning on why the three charges against the former Boustead Naval Shipyhard (BNS) chairman, Ahmad Mohd Nor last month predated the LCS scandal and had nothing to do with it, but concerned other defence procurements, and why the MACC had so far not acted against anyone on the RM9 billion LCS scandal.

I also asked Azam why the MACC had failed to take action against anyone for the RM9 billion LCS scandal although the MACC had the benefit of two reports on the LCS scandal – the Special Investigation Committee on Public Governance, Procurement and Finance the LCS (JKUSTUPKK) headed by then auditor-general Ambrin Buang and the report of the forensic audit of the LCS procurement (2011-2014) carried out by Alliance IFA (M) Sdn. Bhd. at the behest of Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd (BHIC) – which contained a myriad of possible charges on corruption, abuse of power, breach of trust, malpractices and cheating.

I also queried Azam why the MACC had not acted earlier as the origin of the LCS procurement went back more than a decade, to during the time when Najib Razak was the Defence Minister in the Abdullah Badawi cabinet.

I also raised the query whether the MACC had questioned Najib on the RM9 billion LCS scandal.

But there was thunderous and deafening silence from Azam on these queries about the LCS scandal!

Azam hopes to kill these questions off by playing the “blind, deaf and mute” game again, as he got off from the Azamgate on his shareholdings basically by playing “blind, deaf and mute” game to questions raised by political economist Edmund Terence Gomez who said it was time for the MACC to have an “arm’s length” relationship with the executive branch of the government, especially with regard to the appointment of the anti-graft agency’s top commissioner.

Malaysia does not want to have a “blind, deaf and mute” MACC Chief Commissioner, one who dare not defend the integrity of the MACC but one who can answer all queries about the transparency, accountability and effectiveness of the MACC in fighting corruption in Malaysia and take responsibility for the worsening rank and score of Malaysia in the Transparency International’s (TI) annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI) since 1995.

Why is everyone is expecting Malaysia to have the worst score and rank in the TI CPI 2022 when it is announced in January 2023, and is this also the MACC’s expectation?

It is time for Azam to realise he cannot continue to play the “blind, deaf and mute” game and selectively decide to ignore pertinent questions about the transparency, accountability and effectiveness of the MACC.