FORMER Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki is set to initiate legal proceedings against businessman Albert Tei (also known as Tei Jiann Cheing) next week, intensifying a public dispute over allegations connected to the ongoing Sabah corruption controversy.
Azam said the defamation suit is intended to refute claims that he threatened Tei and attempted to prevent the disclosure of information allegedly linked to the Sabah corruption scandal, describing the accusations as baseless and damaging to both his personal reputation and the integrity of the MACC.
“The public needs to know the facts. That is why I am taking legal action immediately through my lawyers,” Malay Mail quoted him saying.
According to Azam, his legal team is finalising the necessary documentation, with the suit expected to be filed on Wednesday.
The former anti-graft chief strongly denied having any contact or relationship with Tei, dismissing allegations that he was involved in efforts to obstruct disclosures related to the case.
“I have never spoken to him. I have never met him. I do not know what is meant by the allegations that have been made,” he reportedly said.
Azam further maintained that neither he nor his legal representatives had any dealings with the businessman, arguing that the allegations were designed to create a false public perception and undermine confidence in the country's anti-corruption institutions.
“I have never spoken to him. I have never met him. I do not know what is meant by the allegations that have been made.”
The legal action follows a police report lodged by Tei at the Putrajaya district police headquarters, in which the businessman alleged that Azam threatened him and sought to prevent him from exposing matters related to the Sabah corruption scandal in November 2024.
Tei reportedly claimed in the police report that he possesses documentary evidence concerning the alleged incident, including records and information identifying individuals who were aware of the matter.
The latest development adds a new legal dimension to the controversy, with both sides now publicly advancing sharply conflicting accounts of events surrounding the allegations.
Azam's decision to pursue court action signals an effort to secure a judicial determination on the claims while seeking to clear his name amid heightened public scrutiny of corruption-related allegations involving Sabah.
The case is expected to attract significant public and legal attention given Azam's former role as the country's top anti-corruption official and the broader implications for public confidence in anti-graft enforcement and institutional accountability.
With the lawsuit now imminent, the dispute appears set to move from the arena of public allegations into the courts, where both parties may be required to substantiate their respective claims and defences through formal legal proceedings. - May 30, 2026
