Here’s What Happened At The Rally Against MACC And Azam Baki Last Weekend
The MACC chief faced similar allegations over share ownership back in 2022 which sparked the “Tangkap Azam Baki” movement.
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Throngs of protestors dressed in black gathered in the heart of Kuala Lumpur on Sunday (15 February) to demand the resignation of Tan Sri Azam Baki, the chief commissioner of the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) after a Bloomberg reported alleged that he had been involved in a shareholding scandal.
The rally, led by electoral reform group Bersih, criticised the government for being too lenient in their response to the controversy and called for sterner action against Azam.
Former Minister of Economy Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, who was present at the rally, delivered a speech reminding the ruling coalition that it was the people’s frustration with systemic corruption that brought it to power.
The black attire symbolises what the protesters see as a deep institutional rot that threatens the coalition’s reformist image.
Last Friday (13 February), Rafizi chaired a press conference addressing the Bloomberg report and allegations against Azam. He highlighted the seriousness of the investigative report and called for Azam’s suspension as well as an immediate investigation.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim earlier said there was no need to suspend or put Azam on leave while investigations are being conducted.
Azam, who stated that he was the one who asked to be investigated, also said there was no need for him to be put on leave.
“I don’t need to go on leave. Before this, there are others who were investigated or charged in court but they were still on duty,” he was quoted as saying in a report by The Star.
READ MORE: Fahmi Fadzil: A Special Task Force Created To Investigate Azam Baki
KL police chief said protest went smoothly, still investigating elements of 3R
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadzil Marsus said the rally which began around 4pm in front of the Sogo shopping centre and ended at Dataran Merdeka went smoothly, although investigations are still ongoing to ensure it does not touch on issues that involve race, religion, and royalty (3R).
About 200 people were estimated to have attended the protest, and roughly 600 police officers from the Kuala Lumpur contingent headquarters and Dang Wangi district police headquarters were deployed to maintain order at the rally.
Calls for former chief justice Tengku Maimun to join investigative task force
A Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) member of parliament proposed that former Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat should join the task force formed earlier to probe the shareholding allegations against Azam.
Subang MP Wong Chen suggested expanding the task force’s membership to five.
“I suggest the composition of the task force to be expanded to five people, by including a respected retired judge and respected person from civil society. I would like to propose Tengku Maimun as the former senior member of the judiciary,” he said in a post on Facebook.
The issue made headlines last week when a Bloomberg report titled “Who Is Watching Malaysia’s Watchdog?” alleged that the MACC chief had owned company shares well over an amount that is allowed for a civil servant in Malaysia.
Bloomberg’s report said he held 17.7 million shares in Velocity Capital Partner Berhad, a financial services firm, which amounted to about RM800,000.
Based on a 2024 Public Service Department (JPA) circular, Malaysian civil servants are generally restricted to holding shares in a single company not exceeding RM100,000 in value or 5% of the paid-up capital, whichever is lower.
However, this limit is an administrative guideline, and exemptions can be granted with approval from the JPA or the Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN).
So far, Azam has clarified that he no longer holds any shares in any company, stating that his trading account is now empty and can be verified with Bursa Malaysia, as reported by Bernama.
Back in 2022, he came under scrutiny over a similar issue involving shares in Gets Global Berhad and Excel Force MSC Berhad. He famously stated then that his brother had used his trading account to purchase the shares.
The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) later concluded there was no breach of securities laws.
A “Tangkap Azam Baki” protest was also held following the controversy that year.
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