Azam Baki continues as MACC chief: Anwar should have consulted PSSC

SHAH ALAM - The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should have consulted the parliamentary special select committee (PSSC) over the appointment of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner.

Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) chairman Thomas Fann said the candidate selected through the committee will be appointed as the MACC chief commissioner.

He added that the decision would have eliminated any perception of the Prime Minister's interference in MACC's work.

"Anwar missed the golden opportunity to actually go out of the convention of changing the MACC chief when the government changes.

"By extending Tan Sri Azam Baki's tenure (as MACC chief commissioner), he (Anwar) only maintains and reinforces the fact that the Prime Minister has absolute discretion and influence over the appointment process.

"Thus feeds to the accusations that MACC is not independent," he said in a statement today.

Yesterday, it was reported that Azam was reappointed as MACC chief commissioner, effective tomorrow (May 12).

Azam's reappointment for one year received the consent from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

Meanwhile, Fann said the process of appointing a chief commissioner needed to be enshrined under the MACC Act.

This, he said was so that the Parliament could become the body responsible for the appointment in addition to determining the appointment period.

He added that the move would also eliminate the Prime Minister's authority to arbitrarily appoint and sack individuals who held the position.