KUALA LUMPUR (April 25): Former High Court judge Datuk Seri Abdul Halim Aman will take over as the chief commissioner of anti-graft buster Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), replacing Tan Sri Azam Baki, who will make way on May 12 after his contract ends.
In a statement announcing Abdul Halim’s appointment, which will commence on May 13, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar said, “The government is confident that with his extensive experience and high levels of integrity, he will be able to strengthen governance efforts, enhance public confidence, and intensify the anti-corruption agenda in the best interest of the country.”
Abdul Halim, who hails from Malacca, obtained his law degree from Universiti Malaya and has a Master of Laws from University of Hull, UK. He was previously a High Court judge in Shah Alam, Selangor, prior to his retirement in March 2023 after 31 years of involvement in various aspects of the legal profession.
He started out in his judicial career as Federal Council, Attorney General’s Chambers, and worked his way up, serving as a High Court judge in a number of courts in various states.
Shamsul Azri added that the suggestion to appoint Abdul Halim as the MACC’s chief commissioner was presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar on Friday, and the King consented to the appointment.
Abdul Halim’s appointment comes after Azam, who was initially appointed in May 2020, had received three one-year extensions.
Azam came under the spotlight after reports of him having shareholdings in publicly traded companies exceeding the limits for civil servants, and claims linking MACC officers to a “corporate mafia” which wrested control of companies from the original shareholders via threats, investigations, freezing of bank accounts and other similar means.
There have been rallies organised by the TangkapAzamBaki Secretariat, which consists of politicians, activists, civil society groups and other organisations including Bersih, demanding that the MACC and its chief Azam be investigated.
Azam, meanwhile, has denied all the allegations against him and filed a defamation suit against Bloomberg, which has run reports on the alleged close nexus between the corporate mafia and the MACC. The MACC has also denied all allegations.