KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 (Sin Chew Daily) – Parliamentary select committee member William Leong said the refusal of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki to attend the hearing constitutes contempt of parliament.

Leong told Sin Chew Daily Azam Baki needs to show some respect for the parliament.

“We (the select committee) summoned him but he did not attend the hearing. This is an act of contempt of parliament. He should respect the hearing committee.

“If he doesn’t want to answer a question, he can always say so, but he must not be absent from the hearing. We haven’t even asked a question yet!”

Leong said the parliament is akin to the court and absolutely no one should absent himself from the hearing.

“According to the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act, absence from the hearing constitutes contempt of parliament.”

He insisted that the reason given by Azam Baki for not attending the hearing was unsubstantiated.

“Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin, Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong and I will request for a meeting that will include also the special select committee chairman Datuk Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman and other committee members in order to fix the next hearing date.”