Of late, a growing chorus across the political and civil spectrum, including the Transport Minister,1 Digital Minister,2 a cross-party coalition of 34 Members of Parliament,3 major political parties such as the Malaysian Islamic Party (Parti Islam Se-Malaysia, “PAS”),4 over 50 civil society organisations5 including The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (“C4”) and the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (“BERSIH”)6 have called for the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (“RCI”) following grave allegations involving the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (“MACC”) and its officers.
Damning findings were made by the Court of Appeal (“COA”) and the Federal Court (“FC”) in Syed Saddiq bin Syed Abdul Rahman v Public Prosecutor.7 Both the COA and FC noted that certain witnesses were subjected to improper pressure during investigations by MACC to tailor the evidence to suit the prosecution’s case. Affirming the acquittal in a supporting judgment, Justice Dato’ Collin Lawrence Sequerah FCJ held:
“[196] There was credible evidence given by PW13, PW10 and DW12 that they were subject to some measure of improper pressure by the officers from the MACC. PW12, the wife of PW13, had saw fit to lodge a police report in this regard.
[197] … I find myself in agreement with the COA that in light of the unexplained inconsistencies in the evidence of PW13 at all levels of his testimony, that there arises a reasonable inference that as there was evidence that improper pressure brought to bear on other witnesses as well as upon PW13, that PW13 was constrained to tailor his evidence to suit the prosecution case …”
The outcome of the police report, together with the formal complaint lodged by YB Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman to the then-MACC Chief Commissioner, remains unknown. However, what is known is that the judicial findings by the highest courts of our country regarding the conduct of MACC officers only serve to further erode public confidence in the MACC.
For the longest time, the Malaysian Bar has called for the institutional reform of the MACC. On 28 July 2015, the Malaysian Bar, C4, the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (“IDEAS”), Citizens’ Network for a Better Malaysia (“CNBM”) and Transparency International Malaysia (“TI-M”), submitted a joint memorandum to reform the MACC, for it to comprehensively address and deal with corruption.8 In 2018 and again in 2023, we submitted proposals to the Government to establish an Anti-Corruption Service Commission through a constitutional amendment, to strengthen the independence of the MACC, to reinforce whistleblower protection and introduce greater and meaningful institutional safeguards for the proper working of the MACC. Nothing changed.
The Syed Saddiq case makes clear that there is a dire need to reform the MACC in the light of due process expectations and the rule of law.
The Malaysian Bar agrees with the call by the Transport Minister, Digital Minister, 34 Members of Parliament, PAS and civil society organisations for the Government to establish an RCI to thoroughly investigate the judicial findings and all allegations of misconduct and to evaluate existing oversight mechanisms and recommend structural reforms, including the creation of an independent Anti-Corruption Service Commission. Reform is long overdue.
Anand Raj
President
Malaysian Bar
22 September 2026
1 “Malaysian minister calls for royal probe into anti-graft body’s ‘corporate mafia’ claims, The Straits Times, 24 February 2026.
2 “DAP stands firm on RCI: Gobind says MACC cannot clear itself”, Malaysiakini, 25 February 2026.
3 “34 MPs back RCI call into alleged ‘corporate mafia’ involving MACC”, New Straits Times, 16 July 2026.
4 “PAS muktamar approves motions on Muslim unity, ‘corporate mafia’ RCI”, Free Malaysia Today, 5 September 2026.
5 “51 NGOs demand RCI into MACC ‘corporate mafia’ linked to Azam Baki”, New Straits Times, 30 June 2026.
6 “Joint Statement: Government Cannot Continue Sweeping MACC Scandals Under the Rug”, C4 website, 9 July 2026.
7 Syed Saddiq bin Syed Abdul Rahman v Public Prosecutor [2026] 8 CLJ 165.
8 “Joint Memorandum for the Reform of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission”, Malaysian Bar website, 24 August 2015.