KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Reuters) – Malaysia has named a former judge to head the country’s anti-corruption agency after the current chief, whose long tenure has been marred by allegations of misconduct, leaves next month.
Abdul Halim Aman will take the helm of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) effective May 13, the chief secretary to the government, Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, said on Saturday.
“The government is confident that with his vast experience and high integrity, he would be able to bolster efforts to strengthen governance, improve public confidence and intensify the anti-corruption agenda in the interest of the country,” Shamsul Azri said.
The agency’s current chief, Azam Baki, has been accused of misconduct with regard to his stock holdings on at least two occasions, the first time in 2022. Even so, his contract, which began in 2020, has been renewed several times.
He came under fresh calls to resign this year, after media reports in February accused him and several other MACC senior officials of misconduct and breaching rules for public servants.
Azam and the MACC have described the allegations as baseless.
The allegations have deepened rifts within Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration, with some key allies questioning the premier’s commitment to tackling graft.
The government has investigated some allegations against Azam but has so far declined to make the findings public, pending related probes by police and other authorities.
Abdul Halim’s appointment was made by the country’s king, Sultan Ibrahim, who said this week he would choose the agency’s new head to prevent the role from being politicised.
The statement on Saturday said the monarch’s decision followed a proposal by Anwar.
According to Malaysia’s constitution, the king can appoint heads of key government agencies on the advice of the prime minister. The monarchy plays a largely ceremonial role and is traditionally seen as above politics. But it has become more influential in recent years due to prolonged political instability during which the king has wielded rarely used discretionary powers.
(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and Xinghui Kok; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
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