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From 1MDB Scandal To Corporate Mafia – Why Azam Must Be Fired



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Feb 12 2026
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Has MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) suddenly become super-efficient and effective in fighting corruption lately? Based on the spike in arrests of senior government officials, ranging from director-general to army chief, it seems the MACC Chief – Azam Baki – should get a trophy for being the best graft buster on planet Earth. At least that was the narrative Azam wanted to create.

 

In truth, it’s an “old tactic” used by every government agency chief in the country just before their contract expires. Yes, the sudden surge in anti-corruption activities is nothing but a gimmick to justify a contract extension for Azam, who, despite having past the mandatory retirement age for public officials, had his one-year contract extended “three times” by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

 

Mr Anwar, who rose to power on a pledge to clean up government infamous with corruption scandals, has shamelessly praised Mr Azam for his bravery in pursuing powerful figures allegedly involved in corruption. However, it’s not hard to understand why the prime minister stubbornly and arrogantly wanted Azam to continue leading the anti-corruption agency – PM Anwar isn’t clean himself.

Corruption and Corporate Mafia - MACC Chief Azam Baki and PM Anwar Ibrahim

His political secretary, Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, was charged with four counts of corruption in December 2025. Shamsul is accused of receiving RM176,829.03 in cash and gifts (including furniture and electrical appliances) between Nov 24, 2023, and March 5, 2024, from businessman Albert Tei Jiann Cheing in a case linked to a Sabah mineral exploration licensing scandal.

 

Initially, Anwar defended his decision not to sack his political secretary despite the corruption scandal. But he soon changed his story and accepted Shamsul’s resignation – and bragged about anti-corruption under his government – after realizing that his aide was indefensible. The Premier’s main bag carrier” was not Shamsul, but his former political secretary-turned-crony Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak.

 

Since his boss became prime minister in November 2022, Farhash has been appointed as chairman of various companies, including retail chain outlet 7-Eleven which forms part of billionaire tycoon Vincent Tan’s empire, a stockbroking firm, and a fintech company. The 43-year-old Farhash had also emerged as a substantial shareholder in HeiTech Padu Bhd with a 15.91% stake.

Corruption Crony - Anwar Ibrahim and Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak

Mr Farhash’s rise in big business and sudden display of wealth is a classic example of how ruling politicians enrich themselves through cronies. This is when the prime minister needs someone like MACC Chief Azam Baki to close both eyes on his cronies’ activities in the world of corporate deals – precisely how former finance minister Daim Zainuddin became extremely wealthy.

 

However, you can only hide the stench of corruption for so long. Anwar Ibrahim, eagerly wanted to extend Azam’s contract for a “fourth time”, is now facing calls to suspend the country’s anti-graft chief and investigate his shareholding in a financial-services company. Former Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli is leading the drive to pressure his former boss to immediately suspend Azam Baki.

 

As reported by Bloomberg News on Feb 10, the anti-graft chief mysteriously and suspiciously owned 17.7 million shares of Velocity Capital Partner, according to an annual filing by Velocity Capital to the Companies Commission of Malaysia on Feb 3, 2025. The stake would be worth almost RM800,000 on Feb 11, much more than is allowed under Malaysian regulations.

MACC Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission - Chief Commissioner Azam Baki - Corruption

While Azam Baki is allowed to buy shares in the stock market, a 2024 government circular, which provides guidance on a 1993 regulation stipulating the conduct of public officials, says a public servant may purchase shares in a company incorporated in Malaysia on the condition they don’t exceed 5% of its paid-up capital or RM100,000 in value, whichever is lower.

 

Amusingly, the MACC said on Feb 10 that Mr Azam has “fully complied with the applicable asset declaration requirements” in respect to sources of income and acquisition and disposal of assets, including shares. The MACC chief argued on Feb 10 that the transaction had been properly declared and that he had nothing to hide, adding the shares were bought in 2025 and sold within the year.

 

The fact that MACC is defending its own chief, mocked by the public as an investigator investigating an investigator, has done more harm than good. The reported value of the stake indicates Mr Azam has “blatantly violated government regulations regarding share ownership by a high-ranking civil servant,” – said Rafizi, formerly deputy president of Anwar’s party PKR (People’s Justice Party).

MACC Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission - MACC - Emblem Logo

But Azam, whose current contract as MACC chief commissioner is about to expire in May this year, has also been exposed to own over 4.52 million shares (1.08% stake) in Awanbiru Technology Berhad as of Jan 13, 2026 on top of the 17.7 million shares of Velocity Capital Partner. His only defence – he no longer holds any shares in any company. But just because he had sold off the shares does not mean he is innocent.

 

There are at least three irregularities in the share ownership scandal. Firstly, he had clearly violated government regulations regarding the limit of share ownership by a high-ranking civil servant. Secondly, his suspicious source of wealth in purchasing the shares worth millions of ringgit. Thirdly, Azam, who is considered to be a public official under the law governing the MACC, hasn’t publicly declared his assets. 

 

This is not the first time he courted troubles in the stock market. Mr Azam faced a public outcry after a Malaysian journalist reported in late 2021 on his stockholdings and questioned whether they breached rules for public officials on owning and declaring assets. Protesters marched in Kuala Lumpur in January 2022 calling for his resignation and arrest. Anwar’s party was one of the critics back then.

MACC Chief Azam Baki and Brother Nasir - Shares and Warrant Holdings

At the time, Azam provided a laughable excuse – one of his brothers had used his trading account to buy shares. The Securities Commission Malaysia investigated, but as expected, concluded that Azam didn’t breach securities law, saying it found no conclusive evidence that anyone else had used his account. No other disciplinary action has been disclosed – suggesting a cover up among top government agencies. 

 

But that share trading with dubious funding had opened a can of worms. In the same year then-deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi claimed he had met with the donors namely “Arab king and prince”,Azam Baki and a team of investigators too claimed that they had met the Arab prince who had allegedly donated RM2.6 billion into former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s personal bank account in the 1MDB scandal.

 

Azam Baki, who was then MACC investigations division director, said he had met with the donor. The team, comprising four MACC officers and one from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), made an official visit to Saudi Arabia at the end of November 2015 to verify whether a Saudi prince had generously transferred US$681 million (RM2.6 billion) to Najib’s personal bank accounts in 2013.

1MDB Sheikh Jho Low

However, hilariously, Azam said he could not disclose any details, including the identity of the donor. Instead of grilling Najib, he said the MACC would investigate the leakage of information on social media regarding his officers going to the Middle East. Exactly why was Azam so upset and furious about his trip being exposed? The answer would be revealed only 5 years later in 2020.

 

During the testimony of a witness in 2020 during Najib’s SRC International Sdn Bhd trial, former 1MDB investigating officer Mohd Nasharuddin Amir told the court the MACC team of four officers led by Azam Baki did not know whether they had actually met the purported donor, Prince Saud Abdul Aziz Abdul Majid Al Saud, at his palace in Riyadh.

 

Yet, interestingly, Azam Baki was listed as a shareholder of Gets Global Bhd as of April 30, 2015, where he held 1.9 million shares, as well as 1.029 million shares as of March 31, 2016. He also held 2.15 million warrants in Excel Force MSC Bhd from March 2016. When the scandal exploded, he conveniently blamed the share purchases on his brother, Nasir Baki, for using his stock trading account.

1MDB Scandal - Najib, Rosmah and Jho Low

It’s not an exaggeration to suggest that Azam’s sudden windfall could be kickbacks linked to money stolen from 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad) sovereign fund. In fact, his pattern of stock investing – buy and sell without regards for profit – smells fishy and could be a classic method of washing or laundering dirty money to legitimize the illicit funds from illegal origins.   

 

While Azam Baki plans to sue Bloomberg for defamation over shareholding claims, it’s too early to tell if he would backtrack later. Obviously, it is a tactic to create a narrative that he is clean because he dares to sue. Crooked Najib too announced his plan to sue the Wall Street Journal in 2015 in regards to its report on 1MDB scandal, only to chicken out and scrap the lawsuit under ridiculous excuses.

 

Mr Azam and his political master PM Anwar should understand that established Western media like Bloomberg cannot be intimidated, threatened, bullied, or oppressed like how the Madanistan government uses local agencies like MCMC to block websites critical of the dictatorship. As Anwar desperately trying to defend his errand boy, little did the PM realize that Azam’s dubious stock ownership was just the appetizer.

Corruption Protest - MACC Chief Azam Baki

Today (Feb 12, 2026), Bloomberg reveals a new explosive scandal – detailing how the MACC under leadership of Azam Baki is assisting rogue businessmen – known as the “corporate mafia” – in forcefully taking over public listed companies by using the anti-graft agency’s extensive powers to arrest, intimidate and threaten charges against company founders and executives.

 

The Bloomberg investigations exposed a shocking and stunning modus operandi used by a division within MACC known as “Section D”, employing dirty tactics ranging from intimidation like office raids to blackmail and threats to life. Azam’s trusted lieutenant, Wong Yun Fui, currently MACC’s deputy director of investigations, is leading the unit, which handles complaints and arrests related to corruption in listed companies.

 

The dark process begins with a MACC investigation into a company whose executives face charges of financial offences or ongoing lawsuits. A “corruption” investigation by MACC would provide an opportunity for the “corporate mafia” to seize control of these companies. Through MACC interrogation, shareholders or owners would be under pressure to surrender their stakes in the company.

Corruption in MACC - Corporate Mafia Group

In a dangerous corporate world where the MACC is protected by the Prime Minister, Wong Yun Fui is Azam Baki’s deputy sheriff who was working hand-in-glove with corporate mafia to enrich themselves. An investigation into a small accounting issue could lead to a founder of a company intimidated with guns and death threats bycorporate mafia protected by MACC.

 

It’s no wonder that PM Anwar’s popularity has plunged like a rock. On one hand, he brags – and lies – about his government’s anti-corruption success. But on the other hand, his appointed sheriff Azam Baki is working with the mafia to seize control of companies by threatening, arresting, and detaining executives, sometimes recommending charges against them.

 

Unless Anwar Ibrahim is dirty like former Prime Minister Najib Razak, he should stop arrogantly being too obsessed with the MACC chief – cut loss and sack Azam. It’s hard to believe in a country with 34 million population, there isn’t anyone who can replace the tainted man. It’s getting out of control when MACC becomes too powerful that no agency could police it.

MACC Commissioner Chief Azam Baki and PM Anwar Ibrahim
 

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