Govt ready to expand Azam probe if needed, says Anwar

2026-03-03 - 03:34

A special government committee is investigating a Bloomberg report alleging that MACC chief Azam Baki held 17.7 million shares in a company. KUALA LUMPUR: The government is ready to expand its probe into Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki if it is found to be inadequate or does not address the objections raised, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar said the Cabinet decided that the investigation led by a special committee headed by the attorney-general could be extended should the initial findings fall short of the scope of complaints raised in the Dewan Rakyat. He nonetheless urged MPs not to draw their own conclusions on Azam, saying allegations must be tested through a fair process to establish facts. Anwar also told the Dewan Rakyat that it was too early to set up a royal commission of inquiry to probe the issue, adding that the special committee’s report would be ready in “one or two days”. He said the government would consider what to do next after the findings are ready. Anwar was responding to Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (independent-Machang), who asked why Putrajaya was not taking a tougher stance on unresolved issues linked to Azam. Azam is being investigated by the special committee over a Bloomberg report alleging that the MACC chief commissioner held 17.7 million shares in a company. This is alleged to have breached a 2024 government circular limiting civil servants’ shareholdings in Malaysian-incorporated companies to no more than 5% of paid-up capital or RM100,000 in value, whichever is lower. Azam dismissed Bloomberg’s reports and filed a defamation lawsuit against the news agency over the shareholding report, seeking RM100 million in damages.