Fresh calls to probe Azam after corruption ranking drops below 2012 level

Reproduce for your General Information. Please read with an open heart and grace. 

PKR MPs have renewed calls for the government to act on MACC chief Azam Baki, who is currently embroiled in a “crisis of morale and integrity”.

This is after Malaysia’s ranking in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) dropped to the worst level since 2012.

In a statement, Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah said the drop reflected on the government’s lack of political will to tackle corruption, citing the Azam case as an example.

“The government under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob should act fast to correct the perception that has befallen Malaysia for fear of severe repercussions in the future,” she added.

Azam came under the spotlight over his ownership of close to two million shares in a public-listed company between 2015 and 2016.

The share ownership had raised questions on whether it was commensurate with his income as a public servant and conflict of interest concerns.

Azam has denied wrongdoing.

The 2021 CPI published on Thursday shows that the country’s score has fallen for the second time in a row, dropping three points from last year’s report which resulted in a score of 48 out of 100.

The score deterioration is reflected in Malaysia’s ranking, which dropped to the 62nd spot from 54 in 2012.

Following the release of the report, the MACC has vowed to review the findings and come up with recommendations.

However, Johor Bahru MP Akmal Nasir said the solution for the graft buster and the government was to conduct a transparent probe on Azam.

“I believe this is the first step that should be taken by the government and MACC to clear the name of the institution as well as the good name of Malaysia on an international level,” the PKR Youth chief said in a separate statement.

The PKR MPs also repeated calls to place the MACC under Parliament and be independent to avoid any interference.

Meanwhile, the Arrest Azam Baki Action Committee questioned the purpose of investigating protest organisers instead of probing Azam.

“Almost 50 activists have been and will be called in by the police for investigation.

“The authorities are trying to scare the rakyat by announcing that they have identified 94 activists and 12 civilians who attended (last Saturday’s) peaceful assembly.

“The committee views these investigations as a form of intimidation, excessiveness and waste of police resources.

“The person who should be investigated is Azam and his scandalous shareholder ‘brother’,” said the group in a statement today.

The group claimed that public trust in the country’s governance was further ruined after the revelation of Malaysia’s rank in the CPI.

They stressed that Azam needed to be reprimanded for investigations to commence.

“As long as he remains on that golden throne, the rakyat is unable to believe in the MACC to prevent bribery and corruption that is widespread in the country,” they said. 

Source: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/608616

呼吁政府大刀阔斧改革反贪会别畏首畏尾

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Header:
社会爱心基金会主席丹斯里拿督彭茂燊太平局绅
呼吁政府大刀阔斧改革反贪会别畏首畏尾

Body copy:
最近闹得沸沸扬扬的反贪会主席持股事件，反映了反贪会急需改革，以重塑反贪会的公信力，也帮助国家树立反贪威信。

首相乃至整个内阁在此事件上表现得畏首畏尾，难免令人觉得有官官相护之嫌，甚至有人发出疑问，难道这些政府大员都有把柄被人抓住吗？

首相对于涉及反贪会的案件，虽然不能插手，但他应该公正、严明处理，以赢回大众，特别是外资的信心。

我发觉，在这个事件上，所以有的部长都似乎有意和这事件保持距离，即不吭声，抱着明哲保身的态度，让人不禁怀疑，他们是不是都有把柄被人家握在手里？

此外，反贪会主席阿占巴基公然违抗国会遴选委员会的传召，不但失去一个证明清白的好机会，也显露他目中无人，有持无恐，那么，到底是什么造成今日的他？

我建议首相和内阁，应该向元首建言，要求把阿占巴基停职接受调查，给人民一个交代，如果没有一个很好解释，政府倒台的历史将会重复。

阿占巴基应该清楚，他只不过是一个公务员，而不是一位政客，不要把自己的辩护行动搞得好像是在搞政治造势行活动。身为公务人员，他们有一套公务员必须遵守的SOP，他应该接受公开和独立的调查，所谓真金不怕火炼，清者自清。

近年来，我国的外来投资少之又少，部分原因难道不是贪污问题造成的吗？所以，我国必须大刀阔斧的改革反贪这一块，以及为国内的政治风气拨乱反正，以赢得海外投资者的信心。

我希望，政府和反贪会主席不要再侮辱平民百姓的智慧，所谓水能载舟亦能覆舟。

近年的乱象已经严重影响我国的形象，我希望民间可以发起一场大清除运动，以治理这些乱象，去除人治的歪风，牢固法治意识和规矩意意识。

 

反贪会前顾问丹斯里拿督彭茂燊太平局绅呼促请 反贪会主席丹斯里阿占巴基停职接受调查

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Header:
反贪会前顾问丹斯里拿督彭茂燊太平局绅呼促请
反贪会主席丹斯里阿占巴基停职接受调查

Body copy:
为了维护反贪会的诚信，我促请反贪会主席丹斯里阿占巴基应该自动停职接受调查，以证明自己的清白。

此外，反贪会似乎又变成了另一个政治团体，3名副主席表面明支持他们的主席丹斯里阿占巴基，他们是否知道自己的职责？当他们在指控这事件是政治报复时，难道他们不懂得要经过调查才发表这个声明吗？他们应该立案调查以证明这事件如他们所说的，而不是草率表态，把自己和反贪会政治化。

经过反贪会顾问团主席阿布查哈、首相署部长拿督斯里旺朱乃迪的澄清，以及反贪会三名副主席的表态，并不能让整个事件更明朗化，而是挑起了更多疑问，这绝对会对反贪会的声誉和诚信造成二度伤害。

反贪会之前已经发生其保管的巨款不翼而飞的事件，再加上当前闹得沸沸扬扬的主席持股事件，反贪会的清廉形象、可信度和诚信，已经溃败不成形了，因此，身为反贪会主席的阿占巴基应该自动停职，以示本身愿意接受调查来证明自己是清白的。

政府在这个事件上应该快刀斩乱麻，而不应该表现得拖泥带水，遮遮掩掩，政府的无作为表现，只会凸显官官相护的歪现象，这将让人们对我国的反贪机制更失信心。

在这个事件上，反贪会顾问团主席阿布查哈犯的第一个错是站出来替阿占巴基证清白，因为，反贪会顾问团并没有调查的权限。顾问团的其他6个成员日前发表的文告更证明这一点。反贪会的顾问团和顾问们应该要了解自己的定位和角色，然后尽本分去服务，才不会辜负他们的职责。

 

Azam Baki should have told his brother to ‘f*** off’: Robert Phang

 KUALA LUMPUR – A former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) advisory board member has grilled the graft busters chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki, asserting that he is making a mockery out of the people and the country’s judiciary system by looking to clear himself of any alleged wrongdoings.

Tan Sri Robert Phang, now a prominent social activist and philanthropist, said Azam further convoluted the matter by implicating Anti-Corruption Advisory Board (LPPR) chairman Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang as the one who absolved him of any wrongdoing, suggesting LPPR as infallible.

He added that Azam breached MACC standard operating procedures (SOPs) by allowing his brother to use his share-trading account, saying such actions were equivalent to condoning an offence.

“101% he breached the rules. It concerns SOPs because if my brother approached me (to use my trading account) and I was a MACC chief, I would tell him to f*** off.

“But now you allow him to carry on, so that’s the same as condoning an offence that amounts to the same punishment – in my view.

“He (Azam) is making a fool out of us, the system, and the entire judiciary. Letting him go is the easy way to go about it, but this case should be investigated by police or any other independent body, without fear or favour. 

“Because we are watching, the rakyat is watching, the whole world is watching,” Phang told The Vibes.

This is in response to Azam and Abu Zahar’s remarks, where the latter during a press conference yesterday insisted the MACC chief did no wrong in allowing his brother to use his share-trading account.

Phang today suggested to The Vibes that a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into the matter would be the most suitable option to get to the bottom of it.

“A proper RCI should be formed to probe into the whole thing because the MACC chief himself has been implicated, so where is the faith, trust, and confidence that we are supposed to have in MACC?

“The system has been screwed up by this stupidity, oh Azam.”

Phang added that LPPR should consider applying for a temporary interdiction of Azam’s tenure while investigations are underway to avoid any further conflict of interest.

An interdiction refers to an official instruction from a court of law barring someone from a certain action.

“I would recommend for the board to interdict him with half pay because when you say no pay, that could look like someone is convicted already, but when it's half pay, there is still a chance (to be absolved) and society will still think that you are not guilty until proven.”

In yesterday’s press conference, Abu Zahar said LPPR conducted a meeting with Azam on November 24 to seek an explanation on the allegations that have since plagued the anti-graft body.

He added that LPPR was satisfied by the explanation given by Azam and found no criminal elements involving him or conflict of interest.

Azam meanwhile insisted he as the chief commissioner is only answerable to LPPR.

He also claimed the allegations of conflict of interest brought against him were created by certain parties looking to take advantage and attack MACC and ruin the commission’s image and his personal reputation. – 

Source : https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/51408/azam-baki-should-have-told-his-brother-to-f-off-robert-phang