PETALING JAYA: Parti Amanah Negara's (Amanah) Youth wing and national mobilisation bureau will submit a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Friday (Jan 7) regarding question about integrity on Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki.

       Amanah Youth chief Mohd Hasbie Muda said the wing was not satisfied with the explanation given by Azam during his highly-anticipated press conference on Wednesday (Jan 5).

       "The government must take immediate action to ensure one of the most important institutions that upholds integrity, which is the MACC, must continue to be respected.

       "Or else we will be a laughing stock (among) the other nations," he said when contacted on Thursday (Jan 6).

       The wing will submit the memorandum to Istana Negara at 3pm Friday.

       Allegations had surfaced that Azam owned a substantial amount of shares in Gets Global Bhd as well as Excel Force MSC Bhd between 2015 and 2016, when he was the MACC director of investigations.

       However, Anti-Corruption Advisory Board chairman Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang revealed that there was no pecuniary interest nor conflict of interest on the part of the MACC chief over the issue of acquiring shares in two companies in 2015.

       Abu Zahar said this was because the MACC chief commissioner did not purchase the shares himself as it was done by his younger brother, Nasir.

       The board, he said, had called for a meeting on Nov 24 last year and had summoned Azam to explain the allegations.

       “In the meeting, Tan Sri Azam explained to me and the rest of the board members that his brother had used his (Azam’s) share trading account to acquire the shares in 2015.

       “The shares were bought in the open market and there is no conflict of interest there,” he said.

       Azam said the latest attack against him was meant to erode public trust on the anti-graft body that has been working hard in its fight against corruption.

       He also acknowledged that the attacks against him and the commission could be due to its anti-corruption actions.

       “Perhaps this is the case. We do our job and we take action against people irrespective of their positions, and this may have angered some.

       “I have served the agency for 37 years and I believe that I have made my fair share of enemies as well as friends.

       “Maybe there are people who don’t like that we are doing our job,” he said.

       At the same press conference on Wednesday, Azam broke his silence and warned that he will take legal action against those who defamed him over the share issue.

       He said action will also be taken against those who had tarnished his reputation and that of the MACC.

       Meanwhile, Pulai MP Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub was quoted as saying on The Malaysian Insight that he had filed an emergency motion to discuss the allegations against Azam in Parliament on March 1.

       “The motion was filed under Standing Order 18 (1) this morning and was sent to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun,” said the Amanah deputy president.

       He hoped Parliament would debate the issue during the first sitting of the year in March.

       On Dec 14, Sungai Buloh MP R. Sivarasa had filed an urgent motion to discuss Azam’s alleged ownership of close to two million shares in a public listed company.