What did you expect me to say, MACC chief asks critics
Azam Baki defends response to concerns raised over Asia Mobiliti, saying it was the clearest explanation he could provide.
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Azam Baki has defended his response to concerns raised following the Selangor government’s decision to award a transport-related project to a company linked to a minister’s husband.
Azam said that when he stated the Selangor government did no wrong in awarding a new demand-responsive transit (DRT) service project to Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd (Asia Mobiliti), it was based on facts.
“Maybe they expected me to say that ‘we will look into it and investigate, and to wait for my announcement and that I will update you from time to time’,” he said in a meeting with representatives from the online media.
Azam said he was of the view that the statement he made on the matter was the clearest explanation he could provide to the public.
Questions arose on the possibility of preferential treatment following revelations that Asia Mobiliti was one of two companies the state government had given the project to without going through an open tender. The company’s CEO, M Ramachandran, is the husband of youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh.
Yesterday, Azam said MACC would not probe the award of the project, adding that there was no link between Yeoh’s ministry and the Selangor government.
This led to Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi and former DAP assemblyman P Ramasamy criticising Azam’s response.
Puad accused MACC of double-standards given that it had investigated the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp). Meanwhile, Ramasamy took issue with Azam dismissing allegations of cronyism or favouritism without conducting any preliminary investigation.
Azam repeated today that Yeoh had not been involved in proposing the project to the Selangor government or deciding on it. Therefore, under the law, there was no abuse of power, he said.
“It was the state who decided on the matter. It was the menteri besar who decided on it. It was not her decision.
“Hence, it is not an offence. Was it morally correct? I do not know. I’m not going into that. MACC cannot be involved in such matters. And if politicians want to argue that it was morally wrong, it’s up to them, I’m no politician.”
Azam corrects Puad’s facts
Elaborating further on Puad’s criticism, Azam said that while the former was free to comment on any issue, he should “know his facts”.
Puad had in a Facebook post questioned why MACC had probed former minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and her family over the NFCorp case.
However, Azam said the former Wanita Umno chief was never investigated.
“We investigated her husband and so did the police,” he said, referring to NFCorp executive chairman Salleh Ismail.
“Her husband had allegedly misappropriated the money given to him. Two authorities investigated him and he was charged.”
The National Feedlot Centre (NFC), managed by NFCorp, was launched in 2007 to monitor, guide and train contract farmers.
However, the project became embroiled in controversy when Salleh was investigated and charged with two counts of misappropriating a total of RM49.7 million from NFC.
Salleh was acquitted of the charges on Nov 25, 2015.
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