KUALA LUMPUR – Civil society group G25 has raised concerns over the appointment of Attorney General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar as the chairman of the special committee set up to investigate allegations involving Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Tan Sri Azam Baki.
According to the group of retired Malay-Muslim civil servants, the appointment risks creating a perception of institutional conflict as Dusuki is the government’s principal legal adviser and the authority responsible for prosecutions.
“This investigation must not only be fair, but be clearly seen to be independent of the executive branch,” G25 said in a statement today.
The group suggested that the task force be chaired instead by a retired senior judge or an equally independent and respected figure with no direct reporting line within the current administrative hierarchy, stressing that independence at the highest levels must be beyond question.
The statement comes amid renewed scrutiny over Azam’s alleged shareholdings and compliance with civil service regulations, an issue G25 said has repeatedly placed the nation’s top anti-corruption body under public doubt.
It welcomed the government’s announcement of a special task force but warned that failure to ensure a full and independent review could be seen as political protection or double standards rather than good governance.
G25 also called for Azam to be placed on garden leave while investigations are ongoing, saying such a step would demonstrate that no one is above the rule of law.
Beyond the immediate probe, the group urged broader reforms to strengthen the independence of the MACC.
Among its proposals are removing the MACC from the Prime Minister’s Department and placing it under parliamentary oversight through the creation of a constitutionally mandated Independent Anti-Corruption Commission. It said the proposed body should oversee appointments, promotions, discipline and budgeting, with funding secured through Parliament or the Consolidated Fund.
G25 also proposed that future appointments of the MACC chief be subject to an open, bipartisan Parliamentary Select Committee process, with shortlisted candidates publicly scrutinised before confirmation and formal appointment by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“These are structural reforms, not abstract institutional proposals,” the group said, urging the Madani government to translate its stated commitment to integrity and reform into concrete action.
G25 said integrity in public office is foundational and warned that any delay in reform would only deepen public doubt and fuel suspicion surrounding the MACC.– February 14, 2026