Does the Chief Commissioner of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Azam Baki’s criticism of Transparency International (TI)’s annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI) meant that MACC now does not support the National Integrity Plan target for Malaysia be to be among the top 30 countries in the world in public integrity with the least corruption?

Under the fifth Malaysian premiership of Tun Abdullah Badawi, the National Integrity Plan 2013-2018 was formulated which targeted that Malaysia’s score of 5.2 in the year 2003 will be improved to at least 6.5 by 2008 (10 being the best and 1.0 being worst), as well as improving the ranking of Malaysia from 37th in 2013 to at least 30th position in 2018.

Instead of “at least 30th position” in the TI CPI, we are now No. 62 in TI CPI 2021 and will be worse in the CPI 2022 when it is announced on January 2023.

Is this the reason for Azam criticising the TI CPI series, as he has become the head of the country’s anti-corruption agency (whether MACC since 2010 or its predecessor, the Anti-Corruption Agency) who is presiding over two years with the worst TI CPI?

Malaysia needs a new MACC Chief Commissioner who has two important KPIs – firstly, to ensure that Malaysia will not continue to fall in the TI CPI but will improve from the 62nd position in the TI CPI 2021 if not achieving 30th position in the NIP; and secondly, to ensure that China and Indonesia do not overtake Malaysia in TI CPI whether before the end of this decade or before Malaysia’s Centennial.

The tragedy in the country’s anti-corruption campaign is that the MACC Chief Commissioner does not inspire Malaysians with confidence that he is the very symbol of public integrity, especially with his refusal to appear before the Parliamentary Select Committee to clear himself of conflict-of-interest and integrity allegations in the Azam-gate affair.

And Azam dare not say anything about the “Malu Apa BossKu” campaign which is a shame and disgrace to the country.

Would Azam now volunteer to appear before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Agencies in the Prime Minister’s Department to clear himself of any conflict-of-interest and integrity allegations?

We will wait and see.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, July 23, 2022)