Prime Minister Anwar Mocks His Own Crusade Against Corruption

 Prime Minister Anwar Mocks His Own Crusade Against Corruption

M. Bakri Musa

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim missed a splendid opportunity to reaffirm his anti-corruption resolve when he dismissed Bloomberg’s February 3, 2026 article linking the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Azam Baki to local “corporate mafia” figures.

            Imagine if Anwar had reacted thus: “I cannot dismiss such serious allegations. I have demanded that MACC Chief Azam Baki take immediate leave pending a thorough investigation to be headed by former Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun.” Or someone of similar stature.

            Instead, Anwar chided his critics and asked them to “read his [Azam Baki’s] explanation.” Anwar also did not help himself or his cause in having a high level internal “Special Committee” to investigate the matter. 

In announcing the Special Committee, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil did not mention whether Azam Baki would continue in his current duties. Nor did his fellow ministers see fit to raise this issue. 

            Azam Baki was not Anwar’s appointee, rather a carryover from the previous administrations of Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri. Azam Baki’s contract, due to end May 2 2026, had been extended in the past albeit very briefly three times, including twice by Anwar. 

It is noteworthy that Muhyiddin’s own corruption trial is set to begin next month. He was arrested in March 2023 following his coalition’s loss in the November 2022 General Elections. As for Ismail Sabri, MACC had seized over RM 169 million in cold cash as well as gold bars from “safe houses” linked to him. He has yet to be charged. More significant, he had made no effort to reclaim those seized spoils. Draw your own conclusion.

Malaysia has serious problems with corruption. The current allegations are made not by a rag publication but Bloomberg, citing specific individuals, places, and transactions. That begs for thorough investigations. That the publication had been successfully sued for libel in the past is no excuse. Meanwhile Malaysia’s resolve in fighting corruption must trump everything else.

As for Malaysia’s record in combating corruption, yes, former Prime Minister Najib Razak is now in jail and will remain there for the next few decades unless pardoned by a future misguided Agung. Najib is now joined by his former minister Isa Samad, having recently exhausted his long, extended appeals. 

Anwar cannot claim credit for either. Najib’s arrest in July 2018 followed the defeat of his coalition in the April 2018 elections. He was convicted in July 2020. That and his other corruption convictions were initiated long before the Anwar Administration. Also worth reminding is that Najib was convicted not by in-house or career civil servant prosecutors.

As for Anwar’s commitment and track record in fighting corruption, the case of his own Deputy Ahmad Zahid is instructive as well as revealing. He was arrested in October 2018, also following his party’s defeat in the April 2018 General Elections, for misappropriating funds belonging to his family-run foundation, Akalbudi. Anwar was very much aware of that when he appointed Zahid to be his Deputy following the November 2022 General Elections. Zahid had since seen his case “dismissed not amounting to an acquittal,” and later completely dismissed. Both occurred under Anwar’s watch. Again, draw your own conclusion.

It was thus not a surprise that Azam Baki alluded to Ahmad Zahid’s case in refusing to resign. By allowing Zahid to hold on to his top cabinet position despite being charged, Anwar had set a new acceptable ethical standard.  

“Innocent till proven guilty” is for criminal proceedings. When appointing individuals to the nation’s highest positions, the standard must necessarily be much more stringent, as with not even a hint of impropriety. Anwar failed in this.

All is not lost. Anwar can still redeem himself. Relieve Azam Baki of his position immediately. Get an outsider to head the Anti-Corruption Agency. My top choice would be his former Economic Minister Rafizi Ramli, now an effective critic. A former forensic accountant, Rafizi could spot holes in those dry corporate figures. Rafizi’s nomination would dent the nation’s crippling social blight and at the same time enhance Anwar’s image as a corruption buster.