Commitment to people and country will not end when contract officially expires today, says Azam Baki
PETALING JAYA: Outgoing Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki (pic) has hinted that his commitment to the people and the country will not end when his contract officially concludes today.
Speaking on MACC’s Kolar Hitam Bukan Sekadar Operasi podcast, which was streamed on YouTube yesterday, Azam said he had no intention of entering politics or the business world but would remain an engaged and vocal figure on matters concerning the nation.
“I am the kind of man who will keep working until the day I am carried out in a coffin from a mosque. Yes, understand what I mean by that.
“I will work and contribute what I can to the country and to the people because that gives me personal fulfilment.”
Azam said he would not hesitate to speak up if he felt MACC’s actions warranted public feedback.
“I won’t be angry at whatever MACC does but if the time comes and I feel I need to say something I will – constructively and positively. If my former colleagues or juniors at MACC need to tap into my experience or seek advice, I am always ready.”
When asked whether he would venture into politics or business, Azam was unequivocal.
“Politics is out of the question – it is simply not my field. Business neither, as I am no businessman. What matters most is how we manage our lives – with wisdom, with purpose, and with value to society, to ourselves and to our families.
A person who contributes nothing is no different from a walking corpse.”
In a candid moment during the same podcast, Azam took aim at those who frequently question MACC’s enforcement decisions, calling them “fools” who need to be corrected in their thinking.
He said such critics are quick to attack enforcement agencies but remain silent when it comes to those who actually commit corruption.
“From day one we have never said something is not our job. We took responsibility and got it done. But the moment we act, people start asking why we got involved, why we did this and not that. I want to say to these fools – instead of questioning MACC, question the ones who do nothing.
“Question those who fail to act because they are corrupt. Question the authorities who shield criminals.” Using the e-waste task force (which he chaired) as an example, Azam recalled being bombarded with what he described as odd questions from the public and critics.
“People asked where the containers went, why there were no charges in court, why only compounds were issued. This is the problem with society, and I have to correct it. These baseless accusations may stem from jealousy towards MACC. I want to remind them – that is a sin.”
On the future direction of MACC, Azam urged it to concentrate its resources on large-scale financial leakages that cost the country hundreds of millions of ringgit, rather than being distracted by minor infractions.
“Forget the small stuff. Focus on what we have planned – the big leakages, the major cases. Let other departments handle the small roadside matters. That is why you rarely see my officers making arrests over RM10 or RM20 bribes – it wastes time. We need to go after the hundreds of millions that have gone missing, the widespread fraud and the recovery of stolen assets.”
He summed up MACC’s asset recovery mission plainly: “Simply put – what has been stolen from the people, we steal it back through the law and through enforcement.”
