Blogger Syed Akbar Ali is among five new members of a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) panel who received their letters of appointment from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday.
Syed Akbar sits on the Consultation and Prevention of Corruption Panel (PPPR), which had seven of its 11 members retained, and five added to bring the new membership to 12.
All seven members of the Operations Evaluation Panel (PPO) were retained and two members added to raise its membership to nine.
Besides Syed Akbar, who runs the blog “Outsyed The Box”, the other four new faces in the PPPR are Media Prima Bhd chairman Datuk Johan Jaaffar, Limkokwing University president Tan Sri Dr Lim Kok Wing, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association of Malaysia president Datuk Marimuthu Nadason and Federation of Chinese Associations of Malaysia deputy secretary-general Professor Dr Chin Yew Sin.
Najib handed over the appointment letters at a brief ceremony at the Prime Minister’s Office here.
The seven members retained are former Bernama general manager Datuk Seri Azman Ujang, Star Publications (M) Bhd editor-in-chief/executive director Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, former Masterskill University College of Health Sciences vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Ishak Tambi Kechik, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia principal research fellow at the Institute of Ethnic Studies Anis Yusal Yusoff, principal fellow at the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Embong, Business Ethics Institute of Malaysia chairman Dr Zainal Abidin Abdul Majid and DC & A Group Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk David Chua. The two new members of the PPO are Bank Negara Malaysia special adviser Datuk Zamani Abdul Ghani and senior federal counsel in the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Datuk Abdul Razak Musa.
The seven members retained are former auditor-general Tan Sri Dr Hadenan Abdul Jalil, former Arbitration Council of Malaysia chairman Tan Sri Cecil Abraham, Audit Oversight Board Executive chairman Nik Mohd Hasyudeen Yusoff, Malaysian Institute of Accountants Audit and Assurance Standards Board member Walter Sandosam, Amanah Raya Bhd independent non-executive director Datin Aminah Pit Abdul Rahman, IA Group chief executive officer Datuk Dr Hamzah Kassim and Universiti Teknologi Mara Faculty of Accountancy’s professor Dr Syed Noh Syed Ahmad.
MACC chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Datuk Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya said the appointment of the new members was in accordance with the MACC Act 2009.
“There is a change in the appointment of PPPR members this time, with the members coming from various levels of society and expertise.” He said the terms of reference of the PPO were inclined towards operations, whereby the members would monitor MACC investigations, while PPPR members would advise on prevention of corruption as a whole.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak with the Consultation and Prevention of Corruption Panel members of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. Najib handed over the appointment letters to the members at a brief ceremony at the Prime Minister’s Office, Putrajaya, yesterday. (From left) Datuk Marimuthu Nadason, Syed Akbar Ali, Datuk Dr Ishak Tambi Kechik, Dr Zainal Abidin Abdul Majid, Professor Dr Chin Yew Sin, Anis Yusal Yusoff, Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Embong, Najib, MACC chief Abu Kassim Mohamed, Datuk Seri Azman Ujang, Datuk David Chua, Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, Tan Sri Dr Lim Kok Wing and Datuk Johan Jaaffar.
