Open Macc Chief S Psc Hearing To Public And Media Gomez Urges

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The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) meeting this Wednesday where MACC chief Azam Baki is summoned to answer about his shares ownership should be opened to the public and media, said Edmund Terence Gomez.
Gomez, who used to be a member of the MACC Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel until he resigned in protest over the issue recently, stressed that it is important to ensure that there is no attempt to cover up.
"While it's good to have the PSC, I would also like to argue that the PSC must be open to the media and the public. It is important that the media is also privy to the discussions in PSC.
"Because we have to ensure these politicians are asking the right questions... have an open and detailed review of these allegations. That can only be done when there is public oversight," he told Malaysiakini.
Last week, Dewan Rakyat secretary Nizam Mydin Bacha sent out a notice to members of the PSC on the Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department, calling them for a meeting to discuss Azam's ownership of over two million shares in two public listed companies.
Gomez also claimed that there was concern about the PSC members, who are politicians, in conducting the hearing.
"Will there be an attempt to prevent certain questions from being asked? Will there be an attempt to cover up by some of the politicians?
"To ensure none of these things happen, open up the PSC meetings to the media. Invite the public to come and listen to what transpired in the PSC," the economist said.
Edmund Terence GomezWhat Gomez suggested had previously been mooted back in 2015, when similar calls were made for the Public Accounts Committee's hearing on 1MDB to be aired live on television.
Although it was initially agreed upon by the PAC, the then Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia had shot down the proposal, citing Parliament's rules.
According to Pandikar, the Parliament's Standing Order 85 does not allow any committee under the House to air the contents of its discussions so long as the statement of proceedings is yet to be submitted to the Dewan Rakyat.
The Standing Order is unchanged and still in effect up to this day.
Institutional reforms
Meanwhile, Gomez also called for major institutional reforms to deal with MACC and other institutions which have been mired with allegations of misconduct.
These include Bank Negara and the Securities Commission which had been implicated with alleged corruption, he said.
"While we have to deal with allegations against Azam, the way things have evolved, there is a larger discussion going on about possible conflict of interest involving the leaders of other institutions.
"This is what I would call institutional failure. I mean, there are now serious allegations involving major oversight institutions, that is MACC, SC and Bank Negara.
"So while the PSC is good in tackling the problem involving MACC, we now also have to deal with problems with other institutions that are now mired with serious allegations."
Gomez said major institutional reforms are needed so that the institutions can act independently without fear or favour.
Azam came under scrutiny recently after allegations surfaced about him having owned shares in two companies back in 2015.
According to Excel Force Bhd's 2015 annual report, Azam owned 2,156,000 warrants in the company as of March 21, 2016. At the time, Azam was the head of MACC's investigation division.
However, in a press conference on Jan 5, Azam said he did not do anything wrong as the shares were bought by his brother, who only used his name.
The issue had also caused Gomez to tender his resignation from the consultation panel, claiming that its chairperson Borhan Dollah did not respond to his requests for the panel to convene a meeting about allegations against Azam. - Mkini

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