Starting January 2026, if you're in MACC and your Body Mass Index (BMI) is above 27, your promotion dreams are officially on a weighting list.
Tan Sri Azam Baki, the man famously known not just for fighting corruption but also for owning a very flexible share trading account, has now taken a bold new direction from “catching corruptors” to trimming tummies.
In his latest press conference, Azam declared:
“MACC officers must look healthy and deliver better service. No more promotions for those who exceed BMI 27. Just like PDRM, we want to keep our image clean.”
We respect the sentiment, Datuk Seri. Health is wealth, yes. But in a country where public trust in institutions is thinner than the nasi lemak sambal at government canteens, should we be prioritising waistlines or cleaning up high profile corruption messes first?
Let’s not forget, this is the same Azam Baki who had Malaysians scratching their heads when the “shareholding scandal” exploded.
Back then, when the story broke, Malaysians were left with more questions than answers. How does one accumulate millions in shares without anyone blinking? How does a younger brother conveniently use your trading account and you don’t even notice? The rakyat didn’t know whether to laugh or lodge a police report. The situation got so surreal that for a while, 'my brother did it' almost became a national punchline used from school kids to office workers trying to explain everything from missing homework to misfiled tax claims. Remember that mysterious millions worth of shares he allegedly bought, which he later claimed were actually purchased by his younger brother using his trading account? That episode alone deserves its own BMI Bursa Malaysia Investigation.
Well, here’s the thing. Azam Baki is clearly a man of many talents at least when it comes to the stock market. He’s proven that when given the opportunity, even a government officer can thrive as a businessman. Some say he outperformed most retail investors, and honestly, most Malaysians lose money in the stock market. But not Azam. He seemed to study hard, invest gently, and watch his portfolio grow almost too perfectly. It makes you wonder if someone with that kind of business acumen can do so well, why did he choose government service instead? And while leaders keep talking about Malays lacking opportunities and needing protection, Azam is living proof that success comes when you give people the right access and let them perform. So, was it brilliance or just brilliant timing?
In fact, many now wonder if Azam had stayed fully in the business world instead of stepping into the corridors of power, he might have become one of Malaysia’s most admired entrepreneurial figures. A real rags to riches case study. His story could have inspired young Malaysians from all backgrounds Malay, Chinese, and Indian to believe in the power of discipline, risk taking, and financial knowledge. Indians would have admired his steady rise, Chinese businessmen might have respected his savvy market timing, and Malaysians as a whole would’ve seen him as a role model not just for one race, but as a true symbol of national capability. Sometimes, the best way to serve the nation is not in a uniform, but in inspiring others through transparent success.
And let’s be even more real. The same institution now obsessing over body fat didn’t show the same obsession when the public asked for accountability. There were no mandatory transparency checks every three months. No press conferences with diet plans for institutional corruption. Instead, we got vague statements and closed door decisions.
Ironically, at that time, nobody called for a "Transparency Index limit" before promotions. But now, if you enjoy your kari kepala ikan a bit too much, you’re stuck at the same rank until further notice.
Imagine MACC officers cracking a huge case let’s say a former minister laundering RM150 million and at the end of the day, HR says:
“Good job, but... your BMI is 28. Sorry, no promotion. Try Herbalife.”
(Herbalife business: if you happen to read this article and people click on Herbalife, it will redirect to your shopee cart site. Please consider commission to me. I'm a diet-proven result person here.)
It’s not that fitness isn’t important. Sure, we want officers who can chase suspects without collapsing after 20 steps, and who fit into their uniforms without looking like they’re smuggling barang. But what the public really wants is this: officers who don’t look the other way when a “connected” person is under investigation.
Wouldn’t it be better if promotions were based on performance, integrity, and actual case outcomes, rather than just belt sizes?
We want a Malaysia where you can’t just sweat off your incompetence. Where real reform means more than joining a Zumba class.
Public sentiment is this:
“We’re not worried about a fat officer. We’re worried about a fat file full of evidence being ignored.”
And if we’re being honest, Malaysia has bigger problems than big bellies:
- Big fish walking free while small fries get grilled.
- Big contracts awarded to cronies without accountability.
- Big silence from certain agencies when politically-linked names come up.
Some netizens are already joking, “Next, MACC officers must do 50 push-ups before opening an investigation file.” One said, “It’s easier for MACC to reduce our BMI than reduce political interference.”
If we really want a healthier MACC, why not conduct quarterly evaluations of case closure rates, public trust metrics, and actual prosecution outcomes? Let’s see who’s really performing, not just who can fit into a slim-fit uniform.
Still, if this initiative gets some people healthier and more focused, good. But let’s make sure this doesn’t become a distraction tactic a classic “look at this hand, while the other hand quietly closes a file.”
So to Azam Baki:
Sir, we respect your concern about officer fitness. But can we also talk about ethical fitness, public trust, and transparency levels? You’ve got officers weighing their lunch, but we’re over here weighing the credibility of the system.
Because in Malaysia, it’s not just BMI we need to bring down, it’s also the B.S. level in anti-corruption efforts.
By: Annan Vaithegi 'BMI Certified'
Annan Vaithegi (annanvaithegi@icloud.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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