PSC on Agencies under PM’s Department must prove its worth by summoning the MACC Chief, Azam Baki to testify why he is playing the “blind, deaf and mute” game on the RM9 billion LCS scandal

Two days ago on Friday, I proposed that the Parliament Select Committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department meet urgently and summon the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner, Azam Baki to explain why the MACC had failed to take action against anyone for the RM9 billion littoral combatants ships (LCS) scandal although he 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.

So far, Azam had given the lame excuse that the MACC needs more time for its investigation into the troubled RM9 billion LCS project as a few of the witnesses the MACC wants to summon are overseas.

This is not an acceptable explanation as the JKUSTUPKK report was completed on 20th August 2019 while the forensic audit report was completed in July 2020, showing the MACC had ample time and there is no excuse for the MACC about needing more time.

I had queried Azam’s 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 queried Azam why the MACC had not acted earlier as the origin of the LCS procurement went backto 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.

So far, there had been thunderous and deafening silence from Azam on these queries about the LCS scandal!

The PSC on Agencies under PM’s Department must prove its worth and not a “paper tiger” by summoning the MACC Chief, Azam Baki to testify why he is playing the “blind, deaf and mute” game on the RM9 billion LCS scandal.

The PSC on Agencies under PM’s Department should also ask Azam why the MACC had failed to investigate PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.

Hadi had failed to explain the RM1.4 million settlement with Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle Brown in a suit against her.

The suit followed Rewcastle Brown’s claim in 2016 that Umno had given PAS a bribe of RM90 million to secure the Islamic party’s support in the 14th general election (GE14).

The suit was eventually settled out-of-court, with Hadi paying Rewcastle Brown RM1.4 million in 2019.

There is however one question as the Chairman of the PSC on Agencies under the PM’s Department is a PAS Member of Parliament – whether the PAS Chairman of the PSC on Agencies under the PM’s Department will allow the PAS President’s issue to be raised.