KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — Edmund Terence Gomez has resigned from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel in protest of its inaction against chief commissioner Datuk Seri Azam Baki’s alleged ownership of millions in publicly traded stocks.
According to Free Malaysia Today, Gomez said he had written thrice to MACC’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel chairman Borhan Dollah to push for a meeting to be convened to discuss the “critical issue of national interest” as early as November.
Despite Borhan having initially responded immediately and agreed for a meeting to be held, it never materialised.
Gomez, a professor of political economy at Universiti Malaya's Faculty of Economics and Administration, added that he was first made aware of the allegations against Azam in articles published at a website, and then wrote to Borhan about them several times.
In his resignation letter dated December 27, Gomez said disturbing questions had been raised about the “nexus between business and law enforcement” and a “conflict of interest” situation before“suggesting a trend in this institution that must be investigated promptly”.
“I stressed that the information that I had received was deeply troubling as it was based on extensive research. The author of these news reports had also listed her name, indicating she was available to discuss this matter with the panel,” Gomez had written.
Besides Borhan, Gomez said he had also written to the MACC Anti-Corruption Advisory Board chairman Tan Sri Abu Zahar Nika Ujang on three separate occasions, but these also failed to elicit any response.
Gomez further noted that Azam has yet to issue any public statement nor had he responded to statements made by several MPs in Parliament on his business dealings that were made on December 14.
Even though he had resigned, Gomez was also quoted as saying he is currently pushing for the panel’s response.
“The letter was sent to the press to publicise this reluctance to act on an important issue. The press has to help us keep this matter in the public eye until an independent investigation is done.
“The prime minister should also act on this matter to protect the integrity of the MACC,” he said.
Gomez was previously appointed to the panel for a two-year term from June 1, 2020 to May 31 next year.
On December 14, Sivarasa filed an urgent motion seeking the Dewan Rakyat to discuss Azam's alleged ownership of close to two million shares in a publicly listed company.
Sivarasa claimed that Azam, as MACC's investigation director between 2015 and 2016, became the owner of 930,000 shares in Gets Global Bhd as at April 30, 2015, and a further 1,029,000 shares as at March 31, 2016.
He also claimed Azam, as at March 21, 2016, also owned 2,156,000 warrants in publicly listed Excel Force MSC Bhd while the latter’s younger brother owned 3,728,000 shares in Gets Global.
