KUALA LUMPUR (April 23): Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar said he will "determine [a] new candidate to lead" the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
In a Facebook post on Sultan Ibrahim's official account, the King said "there is no need for any party to politicise the matter" of MACC leadership.
The position is of great importance in ensuring that the anti-graft commission continues to function effectively as the nation’s main institution in combating corruption, misappropriation, and abuse of power, he said.
“I will determine who is the best candidate to lead the MACC going forward,” the King said to the Royal Press Office on Thursday, according to the post.
The statement comes amid rising public calls for the sacking of current MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki, whose contract has been extended three times, and who was caught in alleged outsized share ownership in public-listed companies.
The MACC is currently in the spotlight over the alleged link to the "corporate mafia", said to be using the commission to threaten company owners as part of their corporate raid activities.
Some political leaders have been increasingly vocal in their push for Azam to be investigated, including PKR's former deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli.
This includes calling for the public to attend the "Tangkap Azam Baki" demonstration, which is currently planned to be held at Dataran Merdeka on Saturday (April 25).
Rafizi resigned as economy minister after losing a party election last year amid widening rift with PKR president and prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In March, Anwar said the scope of investigation into Azam's share ownership may be expanded to include "corporate mafia" allegations. Azam has denied any wrongdoing and the allegations.
Azam, a long-time MACC official, was appointed as its chief in March 2020, taking over from Latheefa Koya soon after the fall of the Pakatan Harapan 1.0 goverment after the Sheraton Move.