KUALA LUMPUR – Former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) panel member Prof Edmund Terence Gomez believes that there is a “shroud of secrecy” regarding the allegations against its chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki.
Speaking to The Vibes, he pointed out that so far, the body’s advisory board chairman Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang and Gomez’s former boss Tan Sri Borhan Dolah, who chairs the Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel, are reluctant to investigate the issue.
“Why is it that the chairman of the advisory board and the chairman of my panel, after initially deciding to have a meeting, decided not to go ahead with it?
“This seems to suggest that there does not seem to be an arm’s-length relationship between the advisory board and the chief commissioner of MACC.
“This seems to be – and you used the word cover-up – this seems to be an attempt not to pursue this investigation further into this complaint that we received.
This seems to be an attempt to even protect the chief commissioner by these two chairmen, Tan Sri Abu Zahar and Tan Sri Borhan. The sequence of events seems to suggest that.
“There seems to be a shroud of secrecy over this matter. All this raises the question on why is there a shroud of secrecy over this matter?” Gomez said when asked if there is a cover up when it comes to the anti-graft agency’s top leadership.
Furthermore, the renowned economist specializing in GLC corruption pointed out that the matter regarding Azam’s alleged business interests has been in the public domain for quite some time.
In fact, he added that it was already raised in Parliament a few months ago and was once more resurrected a few weeks ago.
He then raised the question on why the advisory board did not immediately call for a meeting to investigate the issue when it first cropped up.
At the same time, he said that Abu Zahar should have advised Azam to hold a press conference and explain the allegations and accusations set against him.
Unfortunately, the allegations and accusations had fallen on deaf ears seeing how the commission’s own top guns had remained silent and refused to address the issue – barring their own attacks against Gomez.
The professor had tendered his resignation on December 27, 2021, after claiming that his complaints and request to meet and discuss the Azam fiasco had fallen on deaf ears.
In retaliation, Abu Zahar had claimed that Gomez had never tried to contact him or his administration regarding the problem pertaining to Azam.
Meanwhile, Borhan claimed that Gomez’s emails had never named Azam as the individual with alleged business interests.
However, Gomez had revealed to The Vibes a series of emails detailing his efforts to address the issue to Borhan and Abu Zahar and called both of their bluffs.
How deep does this rabbit hole go?
Even more worryingly, the academic also believes that this sort of business ties between MACC brass is not new – and that Azam’s case is just the latest in a series of other allegations.
“It appears that this has been going on for some time. What Azam is doing, is just following what his predecessors did. Abu Kassim (allegedly) did it, and before Abu Kassim I was told that someone else who led the MACC (allegedly) did it.
“So, it’s been going on for quite a period and that’s why there’s a need. They’ve gotten away with it. So, don’t be too surprised about Abu Kassim. It’s unfortunate that Abu Kassim has refused to speak on this matter.
He has kept very quiet. So, I think there’s a lot more going on here than meets the eye. This has been going on for so long. Everyone wants to keep a lid on it. They don’t want this to come out in the open,” said Gomez.
When asked if the agency has become corrupted due to their failure or reluctance to look into the Azam Baki issue, the professor stressed that one must make a distinction between the institution and its management team.
He pointed out that during his time there, he has met many officers and officials of high integrity who only wish to do the right thing and eradicate corruption in the country.
Although he never insinuated that Azam, Abu Zahar and Borhan have been tainted by corruption, he did say that “their failures to act and carry out their duties” reflects badly upon them.
Reforms and RCI now very critical
In light of these very serious allegations, the former panel member said that it is high time that the reforms on MACC be implemented.
He recalled that during the brief Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration, activist lawyer Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan had chaired a Reforms Committee, which came up with a lot of suggestions for the anti-graft agency.
Furthermore, he added that the National Anti-Corruption Plan had also discussed reforms for MACC.
“Nothing has happened so far. Nothing. This incident provides us an opportunity now to institute those reforms that have been on the drawing board for quite some time.
“That’s what we want to get out of this unfortunate episode as well to make accountable those who have been implicated in allegations of serious corruption or rather misdeeds involving their ties with businesses,” stressed Gomez.
He also agreed that there is a need for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) as suggested by Abu Zahar’s predecessor Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim and C4 founder and director Cynthia Gabriel.
He added that the RCI will be able to investigate the issue and also recommend reforms for the organisation.
“That’s a very good idea. These recommendations for reforms of the MACC have been going around for a long time, and now is the time to institute it. A RCI must be formed to investigate the matter and one of the issues going from here, must be the recommendations to reform the MACC,” said Gomez. – The Vibes, January 3, 2022
Additional reporting by Terence Fernandez
