14 MAY 2026
PRESS STATEMENT
On 12 May 2026, Azam Baki ended his tenure as Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). His six-year stint as Chief Commissioner concluded in a cloud of disrepute and disappointment, with numerous scandals remaining unresolved, including:
- Alleged involvement in two separate shareholding scandals in 2021 and 2026;
- Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) suits targeting journalists and critics voicing out concerns against the agency;
- The perceived selective persecution of the Prime Minister’s political rivals, while allegedly being instructed not to open any investigations against the Prime Minister’s former political aide; and
- Alleged weaponisation of the agency’s “Section D” wing, involved in the operations of the “Corporate Mafia”;
The appointment of Abdul Halim Aman as the new Chief Commissioner does not bring these issues to a close. Despite promises that findings of investigations into Azam Baki’s controversies would be made public, the government has failed to announce any meaningful disclosures in the past three months. The allegations are severe and have devastated public trust in the MACC, and in the government’s purported reform agenda.
The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center) demands the immediate and full release of the findings of the investigation into Azam Baki’s shareholdings, alongside swift action should there be any indication of wrongdoing. C4 Center also demands that the government resolve the grave accusations of the MACC’s involvement in the Corporate Mafia. Failure to do either would be a stark illustration of a complete lack of accountability of both the MACC and the government to the public.
What now for the new Chief Commissioner, Abdul Halim Aman?
The new Chief Commissioner faces a monumental task in revitalising public trust in the enforcement agency, which can only be done through reform of the institution. Despite constant publicity surrounding MACC raids and arrests, Malaysia’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score has remained relatively unchanged throughout the past six years – fluctuating between 48 and 52 out of 100. It must be remembered that the government’s own target for the CPI is to reach top-27 by 2028, from Malaysia’s current 54. To actually make strides in this direction, the incoming Chief Commissioner must urgently oversee, implement, and facilitate widescale reform of the agency, including:
- Establishing a Parliamentary Special Select Committee dedicated to overseeing the MACC, with powers to summon witnesses, request documents, and be responsible for the appointment and removal of the Chief Commissioner;
- Ensuring Ombudsman Malaysia’s jurisdiction includes the MACC, enabling an independent body with investigatory powers to handle complaints of maladministration and misconduct within the Commission; and
- Reforming the five MACC “oversight” bodies through strengthened transparency obligations, while relocating true oversight functions to Parliament and the Ombudsman.
It bears reminding that the MACC is the secretariat of the government’s National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2024-2028. The onus is on them to deliver meaningful change that truly enables the body to carry out its goal of fighting corruption.
Conclusion
It is vital to hold the new Chief Commissioner and the government to account today so that the mistakes and controversies of the past are not repeated. High profile arrests are a breakthrough, but are not enough. Only when the public sees that the law is applied equally, and when systemic change occurs, will the MACC become the respectable and trusted institution it aims to be.
END OF STATEMENT
Issued by:
Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4 Center)
For further enquiries, please contact:
c4center@gmail.com
Website: https://c4center.org/
