KUALA LUMPUR – The parliamentary select committee (PSC) proceedings on Wednesday to discuss Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Tan Sri Azam Baki’s debacle have been postponed to a later date.
In a notice to the committee members issued today, Dewan Rakyat secretary Nizam Mydin Bacha Mydin said the decision was made due to several issues that require prior legal advice from Parliament’s legal counsel office.
He did not elaborate on what these issues are.
“I wish to inform that the PSC on agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, January 19, has been postponed to a future date that will be announced later.
“The attention and cooperation of the honourable members on this matter is highly appreciated.”
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— TheVibes.com (@thevibesnews) January 17, 2022
The PSC proceedings on Wednesday to discuss Tan Sri Azam Baki’s debacle has been postponed.
According to a letter issued by Dewan Rakyat Secretary Nizam Mydin Bacha Mydin, this is due to “legal issues” that needed to be addressed by the Parliament legal advisory office. pic.twitter.com/OLB5zvBelm
The letter was issued to committee chairman Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (Kuala Krai MP), and the eight members, namely Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (Pasir Salak), Datuk Mohd Nizar Zakaria (Parit), Anyi Ngau (Baram), Shaharizukirnain Abd Kadir (Setiu), William Leong (Selayang), Khoo Poay Tiong (Kota Melaka), Chan Foong Hin (Kota Kinabalu) and Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman (Sepanggar).
Azam was supposed to make an appearance at the meeting after being summoned by the committee last week to explain his ownership of millions of public shares.
Chan had said on Thursday that the embattled MACC chief was served an official letter by Nizam Mydin to attend the proceeding, a day before the Dewan Rakyat meets for its special sitting on January 20 to discuss the recent fatal flooding across the country.
He had earlier confirmed that the PSC will convene this week to discuss the recent controversy surrounding Azam.
The chief commissioner recently made headlines after it was revealed that he had purchased shares in public listed companies in 2015, which he later clarified were bought by his brother Datuk Nasir Baki under his name.
Anti-Corruption Advisory Board (LPPR) Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang had said that the board had met Azam in November last year to discuss the matter and was satisfied by his explanation and found no elements of wrongdoing in the purchase of the shares.
Other members of LPPR, however, refuted Abu Zahar’s claim and have distanced themselves from him, saying his view does not represent theirs.
Azam has maintained his innocence throughout and insisted he would not step down from his post, saying the only qualified individual that could end his tenure is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
As for why he took time to respond to the controversy, Azam said he will reveal the truth when the time is right, and as the nation’s highest-ranking graft buster, he has other work to attend to. – The Vibes, January 17, 2022
