KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption chief has shot down any suggestion that the agency should be placed under the supervision of the proposed Ombudsman Malaysia.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said MACC had previously rejected the idea of it being monitored by the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC).
“We don’t see the need or justification to place us under the EAIC or ombudsman.
“This is because we are an independent entity governed by (specific) laws and provisions.
“If you ask me, I won’t agree to the suggestion,” he told the New Straits Times at an event recently.
He said the anti-corruption body, formerly known as the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), had served the nation for 57 years, and that the Ombudsman, as an oversight body, would have its own setup.
Following the MACC’s establishment under the MACC Act 2009 to replace the ACA, five external oversight bodies were formed as a check-and-balance mechanism to monitor MACC’s roles and functions.
The formation of the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board, the Special Committee on Corruption and Complaints Committee was made through the provision of the law, while the Operations Review Panel and the Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel were established through administrative order.
There had been plans to place MACC under the supervision of EAIC, while some quarters, including non-governmental organisation CSO Platform for Reform, suggested that the former be placed under Parliament instead.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd