KUALA LUMPUR: The appointment of the next Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief will be based on the process approved by the Parliament Select Committee and relevant authority bodies.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told the Lower House today, the process of appointing the new MACC chief should follow its due process.
"The appointment of the current MACC chief was by Pagoh Member of Parliament (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) and he was certified by Pagoh as a person who is independent.
"The new method to appoint the MACC chief will depend on the progress made in Parliament. If the mechanism decided is from the recommendation by Transparency International then it must be reviewed by the Attorney General Chambers (AGC) and the Parliament Select Committee, if it's doable then I have no problem but the process must be respected," he said.
Anwar was responding to Datuk Mas Ermiyati (Perikatan Nasional-Masjid Tanah) on the government's process to appoint the MACC chief when the current commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki's term is due to end soon and if the premier can guarantee the appointment processes will be brought to special committee and the Lower House.
On Feb 5, Azam said the MACC was open to the idea of having the appointments of its chief and senior officers placed under the authority of Parliament, as suggested by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul.
He added that he had yet to be called for any discussion on the matter.
Johari had suggested several improvements would be implemented to empower Parliament, including establishing special select committees on the appointments of key positions in government agencies such as MACC and the Election Commission (EC).
On March 9, 2020, Azam was appointed as the anti-graft body's chief following the resignation of his predecessor Latheefa Koya.