‘I tended not to do anything safe’: Malaysia’s outgoing MACC chief says courage crucial for graftbusters
Azam Baki’s term ends on Tuesday (May 12), with former High Court judge Abdul Halim Aman set to replace him.
Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Azam Baki speaks to the media during a press conference on the recent arrests of Albert Tei and Shamsul Iskandar, the former personal aide to Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya on Dec 3, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Fadza Ishak)
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s anti-graft chief Azam Baki, whose term ends on Tuesday (May 12), has said that enforcement leaders must avoid taking the “safe” route as leading in such a way would “be like doing nothing”.
Azam, who will end more than four decades in anti-corruption service, said that courage and a willingness to make difficult decisions without being swayed by criticism were essential qualities, reported local media.
“When I was in service, I tended not to do anything ‘safe’ because I felt that leading in such a way would be like doing nothing,” Azam was quoted as saying by local news outlet The Vibes on Monday.
“I admit that I have not had many friends since serving in the anti-corruption agency, and later the MACC, and becoming its chief commissioner has only given me more enemies,” he added.
Quoted by local media, Azam stressed that vision was important and, without it, it was better not to lead.
Azam, who joined the Anti-Corruption Agency in 1984 and served as Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief from Mar 9, 2020, also defended its probes into high-profile political figures including former prime ministers Najib Razak and Muhyiddin Yassin.
Both were involved in high-profile corruption probes during their tenure.
“Never in Malaysia’s history, since the MACC was known as the Anti-Corruption Agency, have we investigated a sitting prime minister,” he said in a farewell interview, quoted by state news platform Bernama on Sunday, referring to the 2015 MACC probe into Najib which he was involved in.
“That is why some are uncomfortable with our approach. But my principle is simple: anyone who is guilty must be charged, regardless of their position,” he added.
Azam also said that MACC needs a more proactive, intelligence-gathering approach - not solely driven by public complaints - especially in cases involving organised networks and high-profile individuals.
He added that corruption cases were often harder to investigate than typical crimes as they involved small groups that protect each other.
After receiving three successive one-year extensions in May 2023, May 2024 and May 2025, Azam said he was prepared to leave public service, reaffirming that the decision was made by the relevant authorities.
“There were parties who tried to block the extension, but it was not my decision to determine it,” he was quoted as saying by The Vibes.
“The decision was made by the appropriate authorities and I must ultimately be grateful for the opportunity given.”
Azam’s tenure as Malaysia’s anti-graft chief ends under a police corruption probe into allegations over his personal shareholdings, with former High Court judge Abdul Halim Aman set to replace him after the expiry of his one-year contract.
On Feb 10, Azam was accused of holding 17.7 million shares in a financial services company worth about RM800,000 (US$205,000) in a Bloomberg report, an amount well above the RM100,000 limit allowed for public servants.
In a later report, Bloomberg alleged that Azam and MACC officials were helping a group of businessmen seize control over companies and working with a “corporate mafia” to pressure businesses to cut deals.
Days later, Malaysia's government on Feb 13 said it would form a special committee to investigate the allegations and said findings would be reported back to the Cabinet for a follow-up action.
Azam and MACC denied any wrongdoing and called media reports “malicious” and “misleading”, with Azam initiating legal proceedings against Bloomberg on Feb 12.
Since the allegations, however, Malaysia’s government has faced mounting pressure to remove the anti-graft chief from office, driven by large-scale protests termed the #TangkapAzamBaki (Arrest Azam Baki) movement led by activists and opposition youth wings.
In an unprecedented move, Malaysia’s government on Apr 25 appointed former High Court judge Abdul Halim Aman to replace Azam starting May 13.
This is the first time a former judge has been appointed as the chief of MACC, and the relatively low-profile Abdul Halim had not been among the names previously speculated for the role.
