Nurul Izzah urges police to probe Azam’s shareholding allegations

2026-02-20 - 10:23

PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar said the police investigation must focus on the allegations against MACC chief Azam Baki, and not on the Bloomberg report that led to the present controversy. PETALING JAYA: PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar has urged the police to focus their investigation on the alleged shareholdings involving Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Azam Baki, rather than on the Bloomberg report that raised the matter. Nurul Izzah said the police investigation must focus on the substance of the allegations, in line with the principles of transparency and accountability. “I ask that the police investigation focus on the allegations raised by Bloomberg. It’s simple: if there are allegations, investigate the allegations,” she said in a video on TikTok. “The public wants the substance of the claims to be investigated, not merely how the report was published. As the saying goes, you don’t want to shoot the messenger.” Bukit Aman’s classified crime investigation unit has launched a criminal defamation investigation into a Bloomberg article that accused Azam of holding 17.7 million shares in a financial services company. This is said to be in breach of a 2024 government circular, which states 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. Bukit Aman CID chief M Kumar said the case is also being investigated for misuse of the internet. Azam has insisted that he has not committed any offence and does not currently hold any shares in the market. He is reportedly seeking RM100 million in damages from Bloomberg for alleged harm to his reputation and professional standing. Putrajaya has announced that Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar will lead a special task force to investigate the shareholding allegations, with the committee also comprising Treasury secretary-general Johan Mahmood Merican and public service department director-general Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz. The committee’s findings and recommendations will be submitted to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and relevant disciplinary authorities for further consideration. In her video, Nurul Izzah said while the committee’s establishment was laudable, she was concerned that its findings might not be made public. She proposed that the allegations surrounding Azam be investigated by a committee that reports to Parliament, adding that the panel should be chaired by an individual widely regarded as independent and of integrity. Nurul Izzah also said representatives from various agencies should be involved to ensure transparency and prevent perceptions of bias or partiality.