Breaking The $1.99 Paywall: Rafizi And Gang Wants Rakyat To Know How Serious Bloomberg’s MACC Reports Are
The Bloomberg news reports sit behind a subscription paywall, which Rafizi Ramli said could be the reason there was not enough anger being displayed over the allegations made.
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In a press conference Friday morning, former economy minister Rafizi Ramli sat down in front of press cameras to highlight the seriousness of Bloomberg’s investigative reports concerning the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and its chief Tan Sri Azam Baki.
Flanked by his PKR colleagues Rodziah Ismail and Wong Chen, Rafizi joked how they were warned that they might be inviting the wrath of the “kongsi gelap” by putting their faces on the frontlines of this fight.
Undeterred, Rafizi said he has to do this because he is a representative of the people.
The Bloomberg newsreports sit behind a paywall of subscription, which Rafizi said could be the reason there was not enough anger being displayed over the allegations made.
Not everyone has access to the reports and this could be the reason why this case is not getting enough attention.
Rafizi pointed out that the allegations made in the reports are serious and warrant an immediate investigation.
Bloomberg’s investigation raised questions about alleged abuse of power within the MACC, including scrutiny of its chief Azam Baki over reported shareholdings and alleged links to controversial corporate takeovers.
Azam and the MACC strongly deny all allegations, saying no laws were broken and that assets were properly declared.
Azam has since taken legal action against Bloomberg, calling the report libellous and misleading.
The commission also said it will not respond to speculative claims or matters still under legal process, and insists all investigations are conducted independently, based on evidence, and according to the law.
Rafizi meanwhile has made it clear they want Azam to be suspended and an independent investigation be conducted.
Rafizi’s three demands
According to Rafizi, the PKR backbenchers are making “three demands” relating to the suspension and thorough investigation of Azam as MACC chief over alleged shareholding breaches.
They are also calling for accountability for officials involved in questionable deals like Felda’s hotel acquisitions, and pushing for better national debt management, reflecting continued push for institutional reform and good governance in Malaysia.
Besides the immediate call for suspension of Azam, Rafizi’s other demand is an investigation into members of the Economic Council (including himself, in the past) for failing to identify foul play or overpaying in Felda’s hotel acquisitions, leading to potential breaches of trust or inducement.
The third demand was first voiced out by Rafizi in late 2025, where he urged the government to thoroughly reform its debt management system to prevent rising debt and interest payments from overtaking savings from subsidy reforms. His reasoning for this is due to Malaysia’s debt moving dangerously close to its 65% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ceiling.
Unfazed by “threats” of MACC raid
Rafizi laughed off a notice saying that MACC will be raiding his home following a report linking him to a government agreement with UK-based semiconductor company ARM Holdings.
The former minister of economy, who has always been critical of the government, said he was “unfazed by such intimidation tactics”.
“I am a veteran in being arrested and locked up. Such tactics were employed by the previous regime and they never worked.
“So I told my wife to clean up the house a bit in view of the raid that will take place soon,” he said at today’s press conference.
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