KUALA LUMPUR – The family of Pamela Ling, a Singaporean national who has been missing for over a month, is demanding answers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), as mounting questions remain unanswered about the agency’s role prior to her disappearance.
Pamela has been missing for 36 days, last seen while on her way to the MACC for yet another round of questioning. According to the family’s lawyer, Sangeet Kaur Deo, Pamela had been under intense scrutiny by MACC for months and was prohibited from returning home to her children in Singapore.
“Pamela’s presence in Malaysia was not voluntary it was under direct order from the MACC,” said Sangeet in a press statement today. “Her movements were restricted, she was barred from leaving the country, and her freedom was essentially in the hands of the Commission. Now she’s missing, and there are no answers.”
Sangeet criticised the Chief Commissioner of the MACC for remaining silent despite growing public concern and outrage. She said the lack of a public response from the agency only further erodes confidence in its integrity.
“This isn’t a favour the MACC owes the public it’s a duty. This is a publicly funded body, and its leadership is not above scrutiny,” she said. “Instead of upholding public trust, the Commission’s indifference reflects a dangerous culture of impunity.”
In an earlier statement, the MACC claimed it had handed over the case to the police. But Sangeet argues this is not enough, pointing out a troubling pattern of deflection and avoidance by the agency in moments that demand accountability.
“Who exactly does the MACC answer to? The Prime Minister? The Executive? The people?” she asked. “Right now, it appears the Commission answers to no one not even in the face of a potential national scandal.”
Sangeet also drew attention to earlier reform promises by the Pakatan Harapan government during its 2018–2020 term, which included plans to make the MACC answerable to Parliament. Discussions had taken place in the Parliamentary Select Committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department, with proposals to introduce legislative amendments for stronger oversight.
“Despite all the talk of reform, the MACC remains under the Prime Minister’s Department and continues to operate without true parliamentary scrutiny,” she said.
“The failure or refusal to place the Commission under parliamentary oversight has allowed it to function without transparency or consequence. And in Pamela’s case, that lack of accountability is now at the centre of a very real human crisis.”
Calling Pamela’s disappearance a test of public integrity, Sangeet warned that institutions like the MACC must not be allowed to deflect responsibility, especially when a woman’s safety and life are at stake.
“All who believe in public accountability must demand greater oversight of the MACC. No agency should be immune from answering to the people it serves,” she said.
The statement was issued on behalf of Pamela Ling’s family by Sangeet Kaur Deo, their legal representative. -MalayaDailyToday
