The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief said he was merely going by the book when he had declined to appear before the committee last month, adding he had only received an “invite” to do so.
“Don’t mislead the public into thinking that I was subpoenaed and that by not turning up I was disrespectful and in contempt of Parliament,” he said in an interview with selected media.
Azam said if he had been subpoenaed he would have appeared before the PSC because as an enforcement officer he would respect the law.
He also said that the PSC meeting failed to adhere to Parliament rules, namely a standing order that requires that deliberations of a select committee must be confined to the matter referred to the committee by the house.
“If there was a Dewan Rakyat referral I would have definitely attended the meeting. I was merely upholding the law,” he said.
Azam said he also took into account his lawyer’s advice to not attend the committee meeting at that time as the matter was being investigated by the Securities Commission as well as the fact that he had filed a defamation suit against the activist who had exposed his shareholdings.
Any discussions involved would revolve around matters in the suit, he said. “All of this, according to my lawyer, is sub judice.”
Last month, the select committee meeting scheduled to discuss Azam’s controversial share dealing was postponed pending a referral to Parliament’s legal adviser.
Azam, who has denied any wrongdoing, had raised concerns that the meeting would breach the Dewan Rakyat’s standing orders.
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