PSC meeting on Azam postponed

The special parliamentary select committee (PSC) meeting to discuss the ownership of shares by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki has been postponed due to several legal issues that require input from the office of Parliament’s legal adviser.

Dewan Rakyat secretary Nizam Mydin Bacha Mydin said in a letter to MPs that a new date would be announced.

Azam had been due for questioning by the PSC on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department, a committee comprising MPs from Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional as well as GPS and Warisan.

He is under investigation over claims of conflict of interest in the purchase of company shares following a series of blog articles by an activist linked to local NGO C4 Center.

He has since issued a demand letter to the writer of the articles, Lalitha Kunaratnam, with the MACC lodging a police report against her describing her claims as false and unsubstantiated by evidence.

He has been under fire from top Pakatan Harapan leaders who have called for him to go on leave and for MACC’s Anti-Corruption Advisory Board chairman Abu Zahar Ujang to be investigated after the latter cleared Azam of allegations of conflict of interest.

But Azam said last week that there was no need for him to step down, adding that only the Yang di-Pertuan Agong could give such instruction.