Malaysian police have opened a criminal investigation into a report published by Bloomberg concerning the shareholdings of the country’s anti-corruption chief.
The inquiry was initiated after authorities received a police report on Friday, according to Criminal Investigation Department director M Kumar, who did not disclose the identity of the complainant.
Speaking through remarks carried by state news agency Bernama, Kumar said investigators were examining whether the article contained defamatory content and whether it violated communications laws governing online publications.
Police said the case is being investigated under Section 500 of Malaysia’s Penal Code, which covers criminal defamation, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, a provision addressing the alleged misuse of network facilities or services.
Kumar urged the public to avoid speculation while the investigation is ongoing.
The probe centres on a report published earlier this week by Bloomberg, which stated that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Azam Baki held 17.7 million shares in a financial services company valued at roughly RM800,000 (about US$204,000). The report said the value exceeded a RM100,000 limit typically applied to share ownership by public servants under Malaysian regulations.
The article has intensified debate over governance standards within the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), an institution tasked with investigating corruption across government and the private sector.
Questions about the agency’s independence and oversight mechanisms have periodically surfaced in Malaysian politics, particularly regarding the process by which its chief commissioner is appointed.
On Friday, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced that the government would establish a special committee to examine allegations linked to Azam’s shareholdings.
The panel will be chaired by Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, the country’s highest-ranking civil servant, and is expected to review relevant disclosures and administrative procedures.
Fahmi said during a weekly press briefing that the committee’s purpose was to ensure an impartial assessment of the claims and maintain public confidence in state institutions. No timeline for the committee’s findings has been announced.
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Azam, who has faced renewed calls from opposition lawmakers and civil society organisations to step down pending investigations, said he welcomed scrutiny and would cooperate fully with any official inquiry.
In a statement released Friday, he said he had complied with asset declaration requirements applicable to senior public officials.
“I am confident that the truth will prevail through a fair and independent process,” he said, adding that he had “nothing to hide.”
Azam has also challenged Bloomberg’s reporting directly.
Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times previously quoted him describing the article as “malicious and misleading.” He said the shares referenced had been properly declared to the public service department, purchased and later disposed of within the same year.
According to Bernama, Azam has begun legal proceedings against Bloomberg, with his lawyers from Messrs Zain Megat & Murad issuing a letter of demand to the news organisation’s offices in both the United States and Malaysia. The letter seeks remedies over what his legal team alleges are inaccurate claims regarding the share transactions.
Bloomberg has said it stands by its reporting, according to the New Straits Times. The news organisation has not publicly detailed additional comments beyond that position.
The controversy has expanded beyond the initial allegations following a separate Bloomberg report published Thursday.
That article alleged, citing internal documents and witness interviews, that MACC officials had assisted a group of businessmen attempting to gain control of certain companies.
Malaysian authorities have not publicly confirmed those claims, and no formal findings have been announced.
Opposition politicians and advocacy groups have used the episode to renew broader reform proposals affecting the anti-corruption agency.
Among the measures being discussed are changes to the appointment process for the MACC chief commissioner, including removing the prime minister’s authority to make the appointment, a power critics argue could undermine perceptions of institutional independence.
Government officials have not indicated whether such reforms are under consideration.
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Malaysia has faced recurring debates over corruption oversight in recent years, shaped in part by high-profile investigations and prosecutions linked to earlier political administrations.
The MACC plays a central role in those efforts, making allegations concerning its leadership particularly sensitive for both domestic politics and investor confidence.
Legal experts note that criminal defamation provisions remain enforceable under Malaysian law, although their application to media reporting has drawn scrutiny ffrom press freedom advocates.
Authorities have not specified what elements of the Bloomberg article are alleged to be defamatory, and police said investigations remain at an early stage.
Current status shows parallel processes are unfolding: police inquiries into the publication, a government-appointed committee reviewing the allegations against Azam, and civil legal action initiated by the MACC chief against the media outlet.