This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on June 10, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: The greatest test facing Latheefa Koya, whose appointment as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner has generated much controversy, is to bring the big fish to justice in the fight against graft, said DAP leader Lim Kit Siang.

Noting that her surprise appointment on Tuesday is the sole prerogative of the prime minister and is entirely constitutional,  he said, however, that the episode held two important lessons.

The first was the importance of building trust among Pakatan Harapan leaders and the second was the need to reaffirm commitment to the coalition’s manifesto as the roadmap to a New Malaysia, he said in a statement.

 On the controversy, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice president Tian Chua responded to the criticisms about Latheefa’s appointment, noting that among them was the question about how a person with a strong background in a political party would be capable of making impartial decisions.

Following her appointment  as MACC chief,  Latheefa had announced her resignation as an ordinary member of PKR.  She also resigned as executive director of the public interest group Lawyers for Liberty.

Recalling his long association with Latheefa, who was an early supporter of the Reformasi movement since the formative years of PKR, Tian Chua noted that Latheefa adamantly refused to back down whenever she believed she was right.

 “The only concern I have is whether her strong character might cause friction among colleagues. But I hope that over time she will be able to develop a conciliatory and professional attitude,” he said in a statement.

Malaysiakini reported that as at 2pm yesterday, two online petitions of Latheefa as the new MACC chief had pulled well ahead of another seeking her resignation. The pro-Latheefa petitions had collected 14,300 signatures, while the one opposing her appointment had 5,700 supporters.