KUALA LUMPUR: Human rights lawyer and Lawyer’s for Liberty executive director, Latheefa Koya has been appointed as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner effective June 1.
Her appointment comes after the resignation of Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull who shortened his contract which was due to end on May 17, 2020.
In a statement today, the Prime Minister’s Department said Shukri’s application to resign was approved by the Yang diPertuan Agong and thanked him for his services.
Latheefa will helm the position of chief commissioner for two years.
“This appointment is a step towards reforming government institutions,” the statement said.
Shukri served at the MACC for 22 years before opting for early retirement on July 31, 2016 as the deputy chief commissioner (operation).
He was quoted as saying that his return to MACC on May 22, 2018 was due to some “unfinished business”.
When he was first appointed in 2018, Shukri recalled his time of running away from Malaysian authorities to the United States after his former chief Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed decided to indict former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak over the RM2.6bil that was found in his personal bank account.
Shukri left for Washington on July 31, 2015 to present the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) case to the US authorities.