Anti-Corruption Advisory Board chairman Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang speaks to the media during a press conference at the MACC’s headquarters in Putrajaya January 5, 2022. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 – Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang Abu Zahar, who chairs the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board (ACAB), today expressed deep regret over a recent joint statement by six other board members concerning the share trade controversy surrounding the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Tan Sri Azam Bakim.
Now under similar public scrutiny after clearing Azam of any wrongdoing last week, Abu Zahar told a news conference today that the six ACAB members had held a separate meeting among themselves in which he was left out, despite agreeing to a board discussion on the controversy.
Reading from a prepared statement, Abu Zahar gave a chronology of the events that transpired within the ACAB earlier this month that led to a rift within the board.
He said that on January 7, one of the board members, Datuk Seri Azman Ujang, sent him a Whatsapp text that read: “The issue is getting hotter and hotter”.
“At 6:22pm, Datuk David Chua Kok Tee responded to Datuk Seri Azman Ujang’s text: LPPR needs to meet and discuss this matter urgently and come up with a clear statement to state LPPR position by early next week. Keeping silent is not an option,” Abu Zahar said.
LPPR is the Malay abbreviation for ACAB.
“At 6:27pm, Tan Sri Ismail Omar texted: Yes we’re meeting on 11th Jan. Need to address relevant issues,” Abu Zahar said.
He explained that he then consented to hold a closed door meeting, which was supposed to be held at 10am today, at the MACC Academy in Jalan Duta here.
“Suddenly on January 8, 2022, I found that all six members of ACAB had held a meeting among themselves in advance without informing me, and they had issued a media statement.
“I am of the opinion that the media statement made by the six members is deeply regrettable,” he said in the press conference.
Abu Zahar also expressed his willingness to undergo investigation for his role in the controversy.
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