(April 25): Thousands of Malaysians gathered in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, reiterating calls for the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into allegations involving outgoing anti-graft chief Tan Sri Azam Baki.

There was a heavy police presence as authorities tightly controlled the Dataran Merdeka area, where protesters gathered for the rally that lasted more than two hours. Armoured vehicles and police in riot gear were deployed to rein in the crowd and prevent access to certain parts of the square.

The environment turned tense briefly after firecrackers were set off early during the gathering, though local media reported that the situation was brought under control quickly. 

The rally reflected Malaysians’ concerns over the state of some institutions and instances of corruption, former economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli said at the demonstrations. 

Azam has been under scrutiny since Bloomberg News published two reports in February. One focused on shareholdings in a financial services firm that were worth more than the allowed limit for public officials. The other contained allegations that a group of businessmen was working with Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officials to intimidate executives and oust them from companies. Azam and the MACC strongly denied the allegations in the reports.

Earlier on Saturday, Malaysia named Datuk Seri Abdul Halim Aman as the next anti-graft chief, taking over from Azam when his term ends next month.

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