KUALA LUMPUR – Tan Sri Azam Baki was again at the centre of the Dewan Rakyat’s attention, as opposition MPs took issue with the embattled Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief’s refusal to attend a recent parliamentary select committee (PSC) meeting.
Despite vocal criticism and pressure for a definitive ruling on this matter, Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun downplayed it as a non-issue as the proposed meeting was already postponed.
Responding to several lawmakers today, Azhar noted that when the matter first surfaced on January 17, the chairman of the PSC on agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department, Abdul Latiff Rahman (Kuala Krai-PAS), had already agreed to postpone the meeting.
This had come about after Latiff decided to seek legal advice on several matters raised by Azam through a letter sent to him.
Azhar said a new date for the meeting has yet to be fixed, but affirmed that it will be discussed soon.
“The chairman of the committee had postponed the meeting, so there is no date. The narrative that Azam refused to attend the meeting does not arise, as there was no meeting,” he said today.
“There is no preference in this case. If there was a meeting, and he did not attend, then there is an issue.”
Azhar also explained that it is beyond his power to summon anyone for a PSC meeting, noting that Standing Order 83(2) of the Dewan Rakyat stipulates that only the committee shall have the power to do so.
He also stressed that he had never interfered in any matter pertaining to the PSC.
On January 17, Dewan Rakyat secretary Nizam Mydin Bacha Mydin had issued a notice informing that the PSC proceeding scheduled for two days later had been postponed as several issues required prior legal advice.
Azam was supposed to make an appearance at the meeting after being summoned by the committee to explain his ownership of millions of public shares.
Opposition MPs have since slammed Azam, saying that he had acted in contempt of Parliament by disregarding the PSC’s call for a meeting.
In the Dewan Rakyat today, Khoo Poay Tiong (Kota Melaka-PH) once again raised the matter, seeking Azhar for a ruling and arguing that it is paramount that Parliament not be insulted.
Other MPs, including Ramkarpal Singh (Bukit Gelugor-PH) and Sivarasa Rasiah (Sungai Buloh-PH), also pressured Azhar for a stern ruling.
After a lengthy argument, Azhar proceeded with the day’s parliamentary session. – The Vibes, March 1, 2022
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