MCA Youth calls for reforms after Azam controversy

2026-03-12 - 06:34

MCA Youth secretary-general Saw Yee Fung (fourth from right) submits the wing’s memorandum to Arif Yakub, the Parliament and Cabinet division director at the Prime Minister’s Office. PUTRAJAYA: MCA Youth has called for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to implement several measures in response to the controversy surrounding Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Azam Baki. The wing’s secretary-general Saw Yee Fung said the controversy had triggered a “crisis of confidence” in the anti-graft agency. “The controversy is beyond politics and risks undermining public trust in the agency,” according to a memorandum by the wing, which was read by Saw. The memorandum was received by Arif Yakub, the Parliament and Cabinet division director at the Prime Minister’s Office. MCA Youth urged the government to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to probe the allegations and for the MACC to be placed under parliamentary supervision. It also called for an independent oversight body to monitor the MACC’s actions and decisions. “Such oversight would ensure the anti-corruption agency is subject to a system of checks and balances.” Last month, Bloomberg reported that Azam held 17.7 million shares in Velocity Capital Bhd, or 1.7%, based on the company’s annual return lodged on Feb 3 last year. This is said to have breached a 2024 government circular stating that civil servants may hold shares in Malaysian-incorporated companies only if the holdings do not exceed 5% of the paid-up capital or RM100,000 in value, whichever is lower. Azam, however, maintained that he complied with all disclosure requirements and had no legal obligation to make his asset declarations public. On Feb 20, Azam sued Bloomberg for defamation. He is seeking RM100 million in damages. He claimed that the article selectively presented facts, emphasised past controversies, and omitted mitigating details, creating a false narrative that he had acted improperly. Despite clarifications and explanations provided to Bloomberg, Azam said the publisher refused to correct or retract the statements.