Pakatan Harapan (PH) is under renewed pressure to demonstrate that its reform agenda remains credible after its heavy loss in the 17th Sabah state election. The coalition, once propelled to power by public hopes for cleaner governance, now faces questions from within its own ranks on whether it has drifted too far from its anti-corruption promises.
Pandan MP Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli signalled that PH must take concrete steps to regain public confidence, starting with the decision on whether to extend the contract of Tan Sri Azam Baki as Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). He conveyed that voter sentiment had been shaped by frustration over the slow pace of reforms and the government’s perceived reluctance to confront entrenched corruption.
Rafizi noted that the issue resurfaced in Parliament this week when lawmakers sought clarity on whether Azam would remain for a fourth term. He observed that the response offered by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim appeared non-committal, raising further concern among reform-minded supporters.
He cautioned that any decision to renew Azam’s contract would inevitably influence public perception of PH’s sincerity in pursuing systemic cleanup. According to him, the controversies surrounding the MACC chief made a continuation of his tenure untenable and would damage PH’s long-standing claim of championing integrity.
Rafizi acknowledged that one voice alone may not shift the government’s course, suggesting that prominent PH figures should collectively make their stance known. He stressed that stronger, united pressure from leaders such as Nurul Izzah Anwar, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, and the broader coalition leadership could reaffirm PH’s commitment to accountability.
He also reflected on the political cost of weakening anti-corruption momentum. PH and PKR, he said, had traditionally enjoyed an advantage among middle-class voters who believed in the promise of institutional renewal. That advantage, he warned, is now slipping.
To support his concerns, Rafizi pointed to data he had regularly raised in discussions with the Prime Minister. The statistics showed a decline in both prosecution rates and convictions over recent years. He highlighted that charges pursued by authorities had dropped from 56% of opened investigation papers in 2020 to 39% last year. Convictions also saw a downturn, falling from 300 cases—or 36% of investigation papers—in 2021 to 256 cases or 22% in 2024.
He added that the pattern of high-profile cases ending in withdrawals, fines, or discharge not amounting to acquittal has only deepened public scepticism about the strength of Malaysia’s anti-corruption efforts.
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