PETALING JAYA: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki should be investigated further for alleged abuse of power and he should step aside during the probe, said various groups.

       The Associations of Islam Defenders (Pembela) said if Azam was on the right side, he must be brave and a “gentleman” to come forward and be investigated.

       Pembela president Aminuddin Yahaya said the police and other authorities such as the Parliamentary Special Committee should be given access to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into cases involving Azam and other cases involving the anti-graft body.

       "Pembela is of the view that he should resign or at least take leave as the Chief Commissioner of the MACC during the investigations carried out against him.

       "He need not worry about being investigated by the authorities if he is on the right side," said Aminuddin in a statement on Thursday (Jan 6).

       Allegations recently surfaced that Azam owned a substantial number of shares in two companies between 2015 and 2016 when he was the MACC director of investigations.

       On Wednesday (Jan 5), Azam said he had given permission to his younger brother to use his trading account to acquire the shares.

       The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner said he gave permission to his younger brother, Nasir, to use his account for the purpose.

       Azam said although he need not have declared the shares trading as it was not done by him, he had informed his superiors.

       However, Aminuddin said this was a very serious case that has eroded the rakyat’s trust towards the MACC.

       "Pembela will not compromise with any integrity issues involving enforcement bodies such as the MACC," said Aminuddin.

       The National Association of Malaysian Muslim Students (PKPIM) called for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to state a firm stance on the issue and immediately establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to examine the allegations involving key MACC leaders.

       PKPIM secretary-general Ahmad Firdaus Hadzir said Azam should also take leave from his duties to make way for a thorough investigation into the MACC.

       "The statement by Anti-Corruption Advisory Board chairman Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang that he was satisfied with Azam’s explanation over the allegations did not help to resolve the public's concerns over MACC's transparency.

       "The issue of corruption involving MACC officers is not something new, in fact it has been reported several times which has severely affected the credibility of the MACC.

       "This will also have a negative impact on the perception and trust of Malaysians towards the MACC in handling corruption cases that occur among the top leaders of the MACC," said Ahmad Firdaus in a statement.

       PKPIM is a student partner with the MACC which has implemented the anti-corruption education agenda for youths and students through the Malaysian Youth Anti-Corruption Taskforce (MYACT) initiative in 2021.

       Ahmad Firdaus said the agenda of this anti-corruption awareness and education campaign would be hampered if the enforcement body which was supposed to be the main entity in preventing corruption is also plagued with issues of abuse of power and breach of trust.

       "The trust and confidence of the public in an independent institution such as the MACC must be restored so that the mission to eradicate corruption and abuse of power in the country continues to be fought for," said Ahmad Firdaus.

       Several PKR MPs also said Ismail Sabri must call for a comprehensive probe into Azam.

       Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin urged the Prime Minister to order a thorough, transparent and comprehensive investigation on Azam.

       "Hopefully, we can get to the truth," he said during a press conference held via Zoom on Thursday (Jan 6).

       In the joint statement signed by nine PKR MPs, the group expressed disappointment with the outcome made by the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board regarding the situation, as it was just based on a single meeting with Azam on Nov 24, last year.

       The group said the explanation had raised more questions rather than clarifying the real situation.

       They also demanded that Azam be hauled to the Parliament Select Committee to probe further into the matter.

       The opposition lawmakers also questioned whether Azam had breached any of the clauses under the Securities Industry (Central Depositories) Act 1991 after allowing his brother to use his account to acquire or sell shares.