KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 13): Bloomberg News defended its published articles on the shareholding of Malaysia’s anti-graft chief who is initiating a legal action against the American news agency.

"We stand by our reporting,” a Bloomberg News spokesperson said in a response to The Edge. The spokesperson did not address other queries in the email. 

Tan Sri Azam Baki, the chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), has initiated legal proceedings against Bloomberg, following a report on his shareholdings that his legal team describes as "libellous, irresponsible and seriously misleading".

His solicitors, Messrs Zain Megat & Murad, said they had been instructed to seek all available legal recourse, including claims for damages and other appropriate reliefs.

The statement comes amid simmering public outrage following news reports of Azam's outsized holdings in shares of public listed companies. Bloomberg first reported his ownership of 17.7 million shares in financial services firm Velocity Capital Partner Bhd (KL:VELOCITY).

In a press conference reported by national news agency Bernama, Azam acknowledged buying the shares in early 2025 before selling them in July.

On Friday, Azam reiterated in a personal statement that he had made the necessary declarations through official channels based on current regulations governing public service officers.

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