Bloomberg recently ran two articles on MACC: one which claimed that its officials were part of a “corporate mafia” involved in taking over companies, and another which alleged that Azam held shares in excess of a 2024 government circular.

Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) told the Dewan Rakyat that this was the second time Azam had been implicated in a shareholding controversy, following a similar outcry in 2022.

“I call upon the government to take stern action. Azam must resign. He has to go.

“Either he goes, or we go. If we allow him to continue as chief commissioner, voters will punish us in the next general election,” he said during the debate on the 2026 Auditor-General’s Report Series 1.

Khoo later clarified to FMT that “us” referred to Pakatan Harapan MPs.

During his speech, the DAP lawmaker also called for the establishment of a royal commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations against MACC and restore the agency’s credibility.

Khoo further warned that the allegations against Azam and MACC could affect Malaysia’s ranking in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, which saw the country rise to 54th place from 57th the previous year.

A government committee is currently investigating the Bloomberg allegation that Azam held 17.7 million shares in a company.

Azam had dismissed Bloomberg’s reports and filed a defamation lawsuit against the news agency over the shareholding report, seeking RM100 million in damages.

Regarding the “corporate mafia” report, in which MACC officials were accused of being involved in taking over companies, Azam invited anyone with information on the matter to lodge police reports.