, has unequivocally stated that his agency played no part in the sudden support expressed by Kuala Kangsar MP, Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid, for Prime Minister Datuk Anwar Ibrahim.){kind=link}
In a resounding denial of involvement, Tan Sri Azam Baki, the head of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), has unequivocally stated that his agency played no part in the sudden support expressed by Kuala Kangsar MP, Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid, for Prime Minister Datuk Anwar Ibrahim. This declaration comes in response to allegations made by Perikatan Nasional (PN) secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin, who accused MACC of influencing the MP’s decision in an ill-intentioned effort to sully the commission’s reputation.
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Azam Baki emphasized, “The statement by the Opposition leader alleging that we had a hand in the MP’s decision is ill-intended and is an attempt to tarnish the MACC’s image. The fact is, we had nothing to do with the statement he made.” He further urged that any speculations regarding the motives behind the MP’s declaration should not be linked to the MACC, as the commission had no involvement in the matter.
Iskandar Dzulkarnain, a member of PN’s component party Bersatu, issued a statement supporting the Anwar administration, which stirred controversy. Hamzah claimed that Iskandar Dzulkarnain was coerced into making the statement after being threatened with corruption charges by an unnamed senior MACC officer on October 1 at a Damansara hotel. These allegations were made amid accusations of Anwar’s “unity government” employing covert tactics to secure a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has since refuted Hamzah’s claims, asserting that Iskandar Dzulkarnain’s support for the Anwar administration was a personal decision.