DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook has criticised the government’s response to allegations that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officials are involved in a “corporate mafia” scheme as “inadequate.”
Speaking to Malaysiakini, Loke said DAP ministers plan to push for the establishment of a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) during Friday’s Cabinet meeting to investigate the alleged scheme. “If the government’s response was sufficient, I would not need to make a public call. To be frank, I feel it falls short of public expectations,” he said.
The allegations, first reported by Bloomberg, claim MACC officers provided intimidation “services,” including raids, to pressure executives into selling their company shares. MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki has denied the report and urged anyone with information to lodge police reports.
Separately, a government committee is investigating Bloomberg’s claims that Azam held 17.7 million shares in a company, potentially breaching a circular limiting civil servants to a 5% stake or RM100,000 in Malaysian-incorporated firms. Azam maintains that the shares were declared and disposed of last year, and his lawyers have filed a RM100 million lawsuit against Bloomberg over the report.
Loke stressed that the government must treat the “corporate mafia” allegations seriously, given Bloomberg’s global influence. He clarified that the shareholding issue is being investigated by a committee, but the alleged corporate intimidation warrants an RCI.
“These are not new allegations. Similar complaints have been raised in the past, but no international media outlet has reported on them,” Loke said, adding that unresolved claims leave MACC under a cloud of suspicion, which is unfair to the agency.
He also suggested that Azam should be replaced by a new MACC chief who enjoys strong public confidence and is free of controversy. Loke emphasised that the appointment process should comply with the Pakatan Harapan election manifesto, with nominees vetted by a parliamentary committee before confirmation.
“The prime minister retains the right to nominate, but the nominee’s track record and background must be reviewed in Parliament first,” he said, underlining the need for transparency and public trust in the selection process.
