By M.Krishnamoorthy
An Adjunct Professor, author, media coach, and journalist
Hey! Did you know? There is talk of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission head, Azam Baki, being made a Senator.
Bloomberg reported that MACC Chief Azam Baki campaigned to become a senator after he leaves his post.
However, Bloomberg reports did not say he is being made a senator, a claim misinterpreted by social media posts. The report cites sources as saying “he has been campaigning to be made a senator.”
Bloomberg was informed by three people familiar with the matter who confirmed his quest and campaign to become a senator.
Senators are chosen by state assemblies or Malaysia’s king on the advice of the prime minister, and can serve a maximum of two three-year terms.
A protest is planned for April 25 in Kuala Lumpur, according to a press release by the Catch Azam Baki Secretariat, a coalition of civil society groups and activists. The rally is backed by Bersih, or the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, which has organized several major demonstrations in Malaysia.
The findings of the report on Azam’s shareholdings haven’t been made public. Rafizi Ramli, a member of parliament from Anwar’s party and a former cabinet minister, said this month that the probe allegedly uncovered that Azam owned shares worth 14 million ringgit ($3.5 million) in nine companies.
According to its reporters Niki Koswanage and Tom Redmond, on March 30, 2026, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged officials to avoid immediately releasing a report on the shareholdings of his anti-graft chief to the public.
Bloomberg noted Anwar's concern is that making the shareholding report public would undermine public perception of his government ahead of a possible general election, which could come as early as this year.
Bloomberg reported: “Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has urged officials to avoid immediately releasing a report on his anti-graft chief’s shareholdings to the public, people familiar with the matter said.”
In February, Anwar’s cabinet ordered an investigation into whether the shareholdings of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Commissioner Azam Baki breached legal limits. A three-person committee of senior civil servants led by the attorney-general reported its findings to the cabinet, and the matter has since been referred to the chief secretary to the government for next steps.
Anthony Loke, a senior minister in Anwar’s cabinet, had called for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the separate allegations of a so-called corporate mafia. But he said on a podcast in March that he tried and failed to get the cabinet to agree to this proposal. The government hasn’t responded to Loke’s comments.
A 2024 Malaysian government circular, which provides guidance on 1993 regulations governing the conduct of public officials, states that a public servant may purchase shares in a company incorporated in Malaysia, provided they don’t exceed 5% of its paid-up capital or 100,000 ringgit in value, whichever is lower. They must also declare assets at least once every five years and at the time of the purchase and sale of holdings. Azam has denied any wrongdoing.
On March 13, police and Securities Commission officials raided the premises of Victor Chin, a Malaysian businessman mentioned in Bloomberg’s report as allegedly being involved in the scheme. Chin, who denies being part of the corporate mafia, has issued a series of press statements defending himself and alleging he is being made a scapegoat. He’s said any probe must also examine the role of the MACC and the police.
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