“Many a tear has to fall…” — this is the opening line of an evergreen song which remains etched in memory.

One can only wonder how many tears will fall as Azam Baki rides into the sunset after three contract extensions as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief following his mandatory retirement.

His parting shots are contained in a podcast which, argue as one may, highlights some of his misgivings in the battle against corruption. It has many elements which his successor should consider.

Others may opine that it reeks of arrogance, a behavioural trait not normally associated with a civil servant.

As a member of one of the independent MACC oversight panels, I vividly recall Azam, some years back, as a relatively young MACC officer, who had to brief members of these oversight panels, on a matter of national interest.

He had just returned from overseas where he led a team to get “clarification” on a purported gift of some value to the then prime minister, who was operating under a cloud of disparagement for “accepting” it. This was of interest to MACC.

It should be noted that recovering assets, held locally or abroad, from purported corrupt activities is part of the job description. It should not be viewed as over-achievement.

Whatever criticism we may have of Azam, personal or otherwise, his latest, presumably last, podcast has revealed much about his fellow civil servants.

It places the bane of corruption, now considered endemic, squarely on their shoulders as “authorities” who had not taken action on illegal activities under their watch.

Why did they lack proactiveness and not set things right?

It specifically brings into focus a shirking of duties and a presumably sluggish work ethic, devoid of the level of professionalism expected of the civil service.

Given the current state of affairs, such behaviours can be seen as systemic as opposed to isolated incidents of lack of oversight. It appears they are neither up to the task nor being held accountable.

The contention is simple but damning on the quality of leadership at the highest echelons of public service. The chief secretary to the government should take note.

Simply put, if those heading the various ministries and enforcement agencies are up to their task and apply themselves diligently to their responsibilities, corruption will be non-existent. It is impossible to argue against this basic logic.

Unfortunately, due to the presence of these shirkers, as shared by Azam, the MACC is called in to head multi-agency task forces to investigate and put things right. Surely this is not their job. To illustrate this point, Azam spoke on an episode relating to e-waste investigations.

In retiring, Azam has sold MACC as an agency which does not shirk but will gladly take on the responsibility to set things in order when called upon — no wrong door or closed-door policy!

This is commendable of MACC. It justifies the outgoing chief commissioner’s call for MACC to be staffed with persons of diverse backgrounds and specialisations to sniff out the rot in both public and private sectors.

Consequently, according to Azam, when tasked to “do the job of others”, there is criticism from certain quarters within MACC. But these “si bodoh” (fools or idiots, as labelled by Azam) should focus their attention on those who are actually causing the problems that MACC has to help sort out.

One cannot find fault, try as one may, on this viewpoint expressed by Azam on this count.

Sadly, this reflects badly on the chief secretary, who is at the top of the chain of leadership, for not ensuring that the house is in order. Perhaps he has his limitations given he is yet to respond on Azam’s shareholdings issue, an embarrassing reflection of tardiness.

Nonetheless, for all the rhetoric, Azam could benefit from some self-reflection on what ailed MACC under his leadership, to the extent that critics were willing to take to the streets.

MACC must accept that it has faults, but Azam appears to have taken the position of an ostrich burying its head in the sand, oblivious to reality.

Under Azam’s watch, MACC has been accused, on multiple fronts, of selective investigations, coincidentally against those not aligned with current political masters.

There are many issues highlighted for which MACC has maintained a stoic silence, presumably because it has no credible response.

This has led to irreparable damage to the institution’s image on independence and integrity. No amount of self-serving public relations podcasts using MACC staff as host interviewers posing “politically correct” questions can soothe public opinion.

It appears that Azam’s farewell gift was to drag his fellow civil service comrades through the mud for their incompetence which burdened MACC.

Perhaps now there will be tears of joy as Azam leaves the stable as a new rider takes on the reins of MACC, hopefully to lead a cohort that can offer more.

Best wishes to the incoming new chief who has his work cut out.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.