PKR members hold up placards protesting alleged corruption in MACC outside the Dang Wangi district police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur January 7, 2022. — Picture by Hari Anggara
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 — The ‘Catch Azam Baki’ movement today announced that it would be organising a peaceful street protest, citing disappointment over the apparent inaction against embattled Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner, Tan Sri Azam Baki.
In a statement, the movement, made up of civil societies and political parties, said the protest will take place at 11am on January 22 in front of the Sogo shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur.
The movement also chided Azam for trying to avoid addressing “structural issues” by refusing to cooperate with the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) for Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department on his stock purchasing activities.
It added that Azam had instead decided to file a RM10 million lawsuit against Lalitha Kunaratnam, who is a Malaysian correspondent with the Asia-based Independent News Service, for exposing the details of said activities in two reports.
“Such pressure tends to prevent the real story from coming out and raises more questions.
“In fact, Azam abused the name and position of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA) by saying that any report related to this issue is an insult to the YDPA.
“Various suggestions have been put forward to address this issue. Among them are the restructuring of the MACC, as well as placing the MACC under Parliament, changing the composition of MACC members, and the establishment of an Independent Anti-Corruption Commission.
“Even so, it would be difficult for any of this to come to fruition unless the legal process that should have started with the arrest of Azam by the authorities happens immediately.
“If not, there is a high probability that those in power will declare the case closed,” the group said in a joint statement.
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