A PKR lawmaker has claimed that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim assured him that the contract of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Azam Baki would not be extended.
Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan said the assurance was given during a private meeting with Anwar about a month ago, where the Prime Minister also met several PKR backbenchers following a period of limited engagement with them.
Zahir said he was invited for a one-on-one discussion after he and other MPs aligned with Rafizi Ramli had issued statements criticising the government’s handling of allegations involving Azam’s shareholding issue.
According to him, Anwar questioned the MPs over their public statements, but he defended their position, saying the concerns raised were based on matters widely known and shared among party members.
During the discussion, Zahir said he specifically raised the issue of Azam’s position, and Anwar allegedly responded by assuring him that there would be no contract extension at that time, although he added that future developments remained uncertain.
The remarks were made after an anti-Azam public forum held at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, where several PKR figures, including Rafizi Ramli and Wong Chen, were present.
Rafizi downplayed concerns over Anwar’s meetings with backbenchers, describing them as positive and noting that the Prime Minister had been open and “fatherly” in his approach during discussions.
He also welcomed the engagement, saying it was important for leadership to remain connected with grassroots sentiment and backbench perspectives.
Rafizi and other MPs have repeatedly called for Azam not to be reappointed, citing allegations reported by Bloomberg in February. Azam, who assumed his role in March 2020, has already received three consecutive one-year contract extensions in May 2023, May 2024, and May 2025.
