Pressure mounts on Malaysia’s Anwar as allies seek new inquiry into MACC allegations

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is facing mounting pressure from within his own ruling coalition after a key partner called for an independent inquiry into allegations that a “corporate mafia” is operating within the country’s anti-corruption agency, placing his reform agenda under renewed scrutiny.The Democratic Action Party (DAP) – the largest party in Anwar’s uneasy alliance – said it would insist on a royal commission to investigate claims that senior figures in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) were aware of, or linked to, businessmen allegedly colluding with anti-corruption officials to coerce corporate rivals into deals or share sales.A royal commission of inquiry is a formal, government-appointed panel with powers to summon witnesses and take evidence under oath and is typically viewed as more independent and authoritative than a ministerial task force.The demand comes as Anwar’s administration struggles to shore up support among its mostly urban and progressive base, some of whom have accused him of sidelining long-promised reforms to consolidate power in a government that includes former political adversaries.Police officers stand guard outside the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya, Malaysia, in 2018. Photo: ReutersCalls for an independent probe intensified after a series of media reports this month alleged misconduct within the MACC, including a Bloomberg investigation that cited internal documents and witness accounts claiming certain officers had worked with businessmen in corporate disputes. The MACC has dismissed the allegations as baseless.