KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Azam Baki was appointed as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner after he went through all the necessary processes required in the civil service, including security vetting by several agencies.
Datuk Dr Marzuki Mohamad, who is the former principal private secretary to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, said Azam was appointed according to Section 5 of the MACC Act 2009.
According to this provision of the Act, Marzuki said the chief commissioner of the MACC was appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the advice of the Prime Minister.
"Similar to the appointment of other top government officers, the prime minister will usually (advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the appointment) after receiving suggestions from the Chief Secretary to the Government or other quarters as provided under the Act," he said in a posting on his Facebook today.
Marzuki was responding to the statement by Pengerang member of Parliament Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said whether there was due diligence carried out by relevant authorities before Azam was appointed as the MACC chief commissioner.
She said Azam was appointed to the post when Muhyiddin was the prime minister.
Marzuki said there were certain processes in the civil service to determine the qualification of an officer before he was promoted to the position.
"These (processes) including security vetting and integrity conducted by several agencies from time to time.
"For officers who are still in service, they are subjected to regulations and conditions that include declaration of their assets.
"And there are certain forms that need to be filled (by an incoming officer) as well as the officers who are still in service subject to certain procedures to declare their assets," he said.
Marzuki added that Azam was the MACC deputy commissioner before he was appointed to his current position.
"As a top government officer who is still in service, I am sure that he was subjected to all these regulations and conditions prior and after he was appointed to the position.
"Therefore, the question of whether the prime minister at the time (Muhyiddin) had made due diligence to conduct checks of his (Azam's) background before his appointment (as the chief commissioner of the MACC) does not arise," he said.