KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 — The Malaysian government today announced a new Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner, pre-empting a planned rally this evening to demand the removal of the incumbent.
Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar this morning announced that the new MACC chief from May 13 onwards would be Datuk Seri Abdul Halim Aman.
He will replace Tan Sri Azam Baki who will retire following the expiry of his one-year contract on May 12.
A cursory review of MACC’s website did not show Abdul Halim listed among its existing senior leadership.
Shamsul Azri’s announcement did not list Abdul Halim’s previous roles, but expressed the government’s backing for the new MACC chief.
“The government is confident that with his broad experience and high integrity, he will be able to strengthen efforts to enhance governance, increase the public’s confidence and intensify the agenda of eradicating corruption for national interest.”
In his announcement, Shamsul Azri said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had yesterday presented a proposal for the new MACC chief’s appointment to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.
Shamsul Azri said the King had assented to Abdul Halim’s appointment as the new MACC chief, in line with Section 5(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.
The “Tangkap Azam Baki” rally is scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur at 3pm today, with participants expected to gather and march from the shopping mall Sogo to Dataran Merdeka.
On March 30, the rally’s organisers urged Malaysians to join the rally to make three demands, namely: setting up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to probe allegations of a corporate mafia in the country’s enforcement agencies; to arrest Azam and push for a total reform of MACC; and to guarantee freedom of speech to civil society organisations, social activists, academics and the public who criticise corruption and misconduct.
Azam has been Malaysia’s MACC chief since March 9, 2020, and had continued serving past the age of 60 on a contract basis.
Azam’s tenure as MACC chief was extended through one-year contracts in May 2023, May 2024, and May 2025.
Yesterday, the “Tangkap Azam Baki” secretariat, in a statement, said that comprehensive institutional reforms were required, instead of a mere change in the person holding the MACC chief post.
The secretariat pressed for an RCI to probe all controversies regarding the MACC’s leadership, as well as a mechanism to appoint the MACC chief through a bipartisan parliamentary special select committee.
The secretariat also urged for a transparent and merit-based process to vet new MACC chief candidates; for the introduction of a fixed tenure for the MACC chief which will not be dependent on anyone’s discretion; and for MACC to be strengthened as an institution that is truly independent and accountable to Parliament.
