KUCHING, June 4 — A Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu’s (PBB) state assemblyman today insisted that human rights lawyer Latheefa Koya should not head the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), although she had resigned from PKR to take up the appointment.

"Quitting PKR does not solve it, she is still politically connected,” State Assemblyman for Muara Tuang Datuk Idris Buang said of her appointment which took effect on June 1.

Apart from being a human rights lawyer and executive director of Lawyers for Liberty, Latheefa was also an active member of PKR until yesterday.

Idris said it is virtually impossible for Latheefa to steer clear of political pressure due to her association with PH and PKR.

He asked the Bar Council and the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) like Transparency International and other civil societies like Bersih, Human Rights Watch to speak out on Latheefa’s appointment.

Her appointment, announced by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) today, took effect from June 1 for a two-year term.

She replaced Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull, who decided to shorten his two-year contract by one year.

He was appointed by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government to head the agency on May 17, 2018 for a two-year term and his position was supposed to end on May 17, 2020.

PMO, in a statement, said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had consented to Latheefa’s appointment and for Shukri to cut short his contract.