No confidentiality to protect in Azam’s shareholding records, says Zaid

PETALING JAYA: Zaid Ibrahim has questioned law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said’s refusal to disclose the records of former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki’s shareholdings, saying shareholdings in companies are recorded by the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM).

In a Facebook post today, the former law minister asked what confidentiality Azalina had to protect.

“Shareholdings in companies are recorded by SSM. Investigations have been completed, so what confidentiality is there to protect?

“From an accountability perspective, the minister should have given a proper reply to a parliamentary question,” he said.

Azalina had said in a written parliamentary reply that Azam’s shareholding records could not be disclosed because they were not public documents.

She was responding to Lee Chean Chung (PH-Petaling Jaya), who asked the prime minister to list Azam’s share purchase transactions from 2012 to 2026 and to state the periods during which the total value of his shareholdings exceeded RM100,000.

Azalina said the information requested formed part of the investigation documents, personal information and asset declarations protected under the applicable laws, and was therefore not in the public record.

She said issues concerning the ownership and declaration of assets, including the former MACC chief’s shareholdings, were examined comprehensively by the special task force formed in February.

Azalina also said the task force’s findings had been presented to the Cabinet, and the “appropriate action” taken.

She said the chief secretary’s office would make further announcements if there were any developments or official decisions that ought to be made public.