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MACC's credibility crisis

Published: Jan 10, 2022 12:13 AM

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Updated: Jan 10, 2022 11:57 AM

Good morning, here's a quick rundown of what happened over the weekend.

Key Highlights

MACC's credibility crisis
Whistleblower speaks up
Bersatu defections

MACC's credibility crisis

The controversy involving MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki's share ownership in two public-listed firms has blown up into a credibility crisis for both the graft buster and the government.

The saga has seen a string of contradictions. MACC Anti-Corruption Advisory Board chairperson Abu Zahar Ujang, who led the charge to "clear" Azam, ended up in hot water himself after six other members of the committee disputed him.

The MACC leadership also came out in defence of Azam, declaring the allegations against him to be "politically motivated", even though Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob already said an investigation will be conducted.

Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin criticised them for defending Azam even before an investigation is concluded and called for the entire MACC leadership to be reviewed.

The opposition has also complained that government members in the Parliamentary Special Select Committee for Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department were trying to block an investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, de facto Law Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar also defended Azam, claiming his share of around a million units in Gets Global Berhad (previously KBES Berhad) is only worth around RM330,000 which he described as "affordable".

However, Azam has not admitted to being the beneficial owner of the stocks, claiming that his brother had bought them in his name.

According to whistleblower reports, Azam had 1,930,000 shares in Gets Global Berhad on April 30, 2015 worth around RM772,000 at the time. His shareholding went down to 1,029,500 as of March 31, 2016, worth around RM340,000 at the time.

A defiant Azam vowed to fight the allegations against him and refused to go on leave.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Harapan wants special Parliament session on MACC scandals Scandals include RM25 million theft from MACC.
	Hadi: Cabinet doing a good job, no need for a reshuffle However, it is PM's right to reshuffle.
	Hadi pans media for reporting alleged wrongdoing He said the accused should first face the court process.

Whistleblower speaks up

Whistleblower K Lalitha, who wrote about Azam's share ownership, spoke up through her lawyer and stood by her reports which Azam has threatened with an RM10 million lawsuit.

Her lawyer also criticised the MACC for lodging a police report against her and trying to get cops to probe her, calling it misplaced as even the prime minister announced an investigation into Azam.

Graft watchdog Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) also lambasted the MACC for going after whistleblowers when it should be protecting them.

Both MCA and DAP have offered their legal services to help Lalitha against Azam's lawsuit.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Guan Eng: Ismail could be the worst PM He cites floods and the MACC fiasco.
	KL 'neutral ground' for hearing, says Rewcastle-Brown The Terengganu sultanah is suing her.
	MP pans minister's silence on funding cut for athletes Ex-deputy minister proposes new funding sources.

Bersatu defections

Speculations of a split in Bersatu involving those who joined the party after the Sheraton Move in 2020 intensified as several of them defected to Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM).

Among them include Tronoh assemblyperson Paul Yong and Buntong assemblyperson A Sivasubramaniam who defected from DAP to Bersatu but have now joined PBM.

Several key ex-PKR figures who are key lieutenants to Bersatu supreme council members Azmin Ali and Zuraida Kamaruddin, such as Nor Hizwan Ahmad, Zakaria Abdul Hamid, Haniza Mohamed Talha and Daroyah Alwi, also joined PBM's leadership.

While the exodus among the grassroots has begun, the head honchos are still remaining in Bersatu and have yet to pull the trigger.

PBM has positioned itself as pro-BN rather than pro-PN, which does not bode well for Bersatu, which will be leading PN in a possible clash with Umno's BN in the coming general election, even though both are currently part of the federal government.

Sensing danger, Bersatu supreme council member Muhammad Faiz Na'aman urged the party to purge those who had defected from Bersatu to PBM from their government positions.

Bersatu has been held together by three forces, namely those who were part of the party from before the 2018 general election, Umno leaders who defected to Bersatu during the Pakatan Harapan administration and those who defected to the party after the Sheraton Move, many comprising ex-PKR leaders.

Losing any one of the components could weaken Bersatu, which is struggling against a resurgent Umno.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Tycoon decries 'cyber-gangsterism' in response to Najib Ex-PM takes aim at businessperson on social media.
	Najib claims he paid price for telling the truth in GE14 Ex-PM says he refused to make unrealistic promises.
	Changes to Sabah PKR leadership despite boycott 16 division leaders protest Christina Liew's leadership.

A daily glance at Covid-19

2,888 new cases yesterday (Jan 9).
The vast majority of cases, or 2,852 of 2,888, are mild. Only 36 or 1.2 percent are more serious symptoms.
Active cases rose for the second consecutive day after a sustained decline. The infectivity rate stands at 0.97. A value of more than 1.0 will lead to exponential growth in cases.

What else is happening?

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad successfully underwent elective surgery at the National Heart Institute.
Government lawmaker Tiong King Sing launched another friendly fire against the Health Ministry, questioning Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin's strategy on Covid-19 and demanding the replacement of Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah amid a looming surge of cases involving the Omicron variant.
A mother of 10 lodged a police report against Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin over the government's move to vaccinate children aged between five to 11 against Covid-19. The police, however, said the matter will be referred to the Health Ministry.
Rights groups slammed an MCA Youth leader for describing refugee children as "ungrateful" after a controversy over such children begging on the streets.
Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah appointed two new special advisers to handle East Asia affairs but this raised questions as the prime minister had also appointed special envoys costing almost RM30,000 a month.

HIGHLIGHTS

	He lost 20 paintings to the flood, but Mark Lee's not giving up The artist-cum-director is moving forward despite it all.
	Tiger shot dead after mauling Orang Asli to death The tiger was killed 3 hours after the attack.
	Don't become big-headed, Hamzah tells UNHCR cardholders Home minister says refugees are not above the law.