Spotlight on Anwar's reform promises after anti-graft chief gets tenure extension

Malaysian PM’s move undermines his vow of a more transparent appointment process

- Shannon Teoh

KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's decision to again extend the tenure of controversial anti-graft chief Azam Baki has courted criticism amid growing concerns over corruption in Malaysia.

The decision has cast the spotlight on yet another promised reform that Datuk Seri Anwar's administration has failed to deliver on to replace the prime minister's discretion to appoint the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) head with a more transparent process. This reform was among the campaign pledges of the Premier's Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition at the November 2022 polls.

"The reappointment of an individual plagued with scandals he has not answered for, to such an important office is already disappointing," said the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism in a May 14 statement.

But "the fundamental issue" beyond Tan Sri Azam's May 12 extension for another year, according to the graft watchdog, is that "the institutional capacity to combat corruption and uphold good governance... shall remain impaired without sufficient devolution of the powers... in the hands of the prime minister".

There were calls for a more transparent process from civil society groups when Mr Azam was given his first extension as MACC's chief commissioner in May 2023 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, in his role as Cabinet spokesman, on May 15 acknowledged the right to express such concerns.

"But at the same time, there are several considerations made by Prime Minister Anwar in making this decision," he said without giving details.

Mr Anwar had said at the Qatar Economic Forum on May 14 that it would be a "disaster" to expedite reforms by assuming that "the elites have all the answers without even interacting with the masses".