Dewan Rakyat Speaker rejects bid to debate Azam Baki stock trade in Parliament
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 — Two motions to debate Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki's proxy stock trading scandal at the Special Parliamentary in Dewan Rakyat sitting this morning were turned down.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has the absolute power to decide on the agenda for today’s special sitting, as stated under the Standing Orders.
The Special Meeting of the Fourth Term of the 14th Parliament session for the Dewan Rakyat today was set to discuss post-flood efforts, coordination of aid to the public and long-term flood mitigation planning.
Azhar in turning down the motion said he had no authority to decide on whether the matter should be debated.
He pointed out that this was also practised in the UK’s House of Commons.
“Till now, I have not received any notice from the prime minister for the motions to be accepted. Hence, I have to assume that the motions will not be included in today’s agenda," he said
The two Motions were initiated by Pulai MP Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub and Teluk Intan MP Nga Kor Ming.
When Salahuddin asked Ismail Sabri to respond to their calls for the matter to be debated, he declined to comment.
In response, Azhar said the ministers present today would field questions related to the core issue: the flood crisis.
“If the questions are related, I am sure the ministers will answer,” he said.
Azam admitted during a press conference earlier this month that he had allowed his younger brother, Nasir Baki, to use his stock trading account to buy millions worth of shares in two public-listed companies back in 2015.
He denied any wrongdoing, saying the amount has since been transferred to Nasir’s account. However, he has not explained publicly why Nasir had to use his account to buy those shares.
On January 8, Azam said he is ready for his alleged misconduct case to be referred to the MACC’s Complaints Committee.
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