KUALA LUMPUR: PKR information chief Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin has called for Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang to step down from his current position as the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board (ACAB) chairman.
He said this follows today's statement by the six ACAB panel members who said that Abu Zahar's statement of absolving Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki of any criminal conduct were his personal comments.
The six ACAB panel members said that they did not come to the same conclusion as Abu Zahar at any meeting prior to or after the special press conference held on Wednesday.
Shamsul questioned Abu Zahar's move of not following the entire ACAB's recommendations, adding that the conflicting statements by both sides have resulted in confusion.
"Clearly, Abu Zahar absolving Azam in regard to the purchase of shares through his (Azam) trading account (in 2015) was not agreed by other ACAB panels and it was his (Abu Zahar) personal opinion.
"The country's image is at stake. International ratings will plummet when the head of an anti-corruption commission and the chairman of the commission's advisory board are leaning towards misconduct involving conflicts of interest and possibly violating several national Acts and laws.
"With the denial statement of the six ACAB members, it is clear that they have distanced themselves from Abu Zahar.
"If Abu Zahar can't provide an explanation, then it is better for him to resign as the chairman of the ACAB. Abu Zahar needs to speak the truth, take responsibility and put the country before his personal interests," Shamsul said in a statement today.
The Pakatan Harapan's Hang Tuah Jaya Member of Parliament at the same time urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to propose to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate the scandal.
Shamsul said this was important to prevent the country from being viewed negatively by the international community.
"Without an independent and convincing investigation, foreign and local investors will be afraid to invest in this country where the law appears to only protect certain groups."
At a press conference on Wednesday, Azam said that his superiors were informed when he allowed his brother to buy shares using his trading account in 2015. He was head of the MACC's investigation division at the time.