Will the Cabinet on Wednesday set up an independent inquiry into Azam Baki’s shares purchases or do all the Cabinet Ministers agree with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri not to pursue issue any further?
I call on the Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani to end all police questioning of the organisers of the “TangkapAzamBaki” demonstration in Bangsar as the Malaysian Police must transform itself from an instrument of state repression to be the guardian of democracy, human rights and anti-corruption campaigns.
What is important is that yesterday’s demonstration by the youths, regardless of race, religion or politics should provide an impetus to all government bodies, starting with the Cabinet on Wednesday, to take a serious stand on the aspirations of all Malaysians for a clean, honest and efficient government which upholds integrity, probity and accountability.
The Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri, has committed a grave error of misjudgement when he urged all parties last Wednesday to accept the Securities Commission decision on Azam Baki but as pointed out in a joint statement by seven NGOs, namely Institut Demokrasi dan Hal Ehwal Ekonomi (IDEAS), Transparency International Malaysia, C4, RasuahBusters, Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia, Bersih and Undi18, the Securities Commission statement has raised even more questions about Azam-gate, in particular whether Azam was lying when he claimed that his shareholding account was used by his brother to avoid conflict of interest.
One thing that is established by the “Tangkak AzamBaki” demonstration yesterday is that Azam has lost the confidence of the people to have the integrity, probity and accountability to be the MACC Chief Commissioner.
Azam must be making world history as the first anti-corruption chief of a country to face an anti-corruption demonstration against him.
The last thing Malaysians want to see is for such “Tangkap AzamBaki” demonstrations to be duplicated all over the country.
This is why the Cabinet on Wednesday should set up independent inquiry into Azam-gate and for Azam to go on leave until the outcome of the investigations.
(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 23rd January 2022)
