MyCC is independent, says CEO

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) maintains that it is independent despite being parked under the auspices of the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism (MDTCC), saying that its independence is underlined by the fact that under the Competition Act 2010, only the MyCC is vested with the power to enforce the provisions of the Competition Act 2010.
"The composition of the MyCC board itself, as stated in the Competition Commission Act 2010, requires representatives from both the public and private sectors. This ensures well-rounded viewpoints and decisions from both sectors," newly minted MyCC CEO Dr Mohd Khalid Abdul Samad said in a statement to SunBiz, in response to comments by Zurich University of Applied Sciences, School of Management and Law, head of the Centre for Competition Law, Prof Dr. Patrick L. Krauskopf.
He had said that MyCC should be free from political thought in order to be effective and that its current positioning under the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs suggested that this is not the case.
Mohd Khalid went on to add that historically, most competition law jurisdictions start out with being appointed under the auspices of their respective governments, as it is the governing bodies that will initiate policies aimed for the betterment of the country.
The examples include neighbours Competition Commission of Singapore, which is under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Thailand's Trade Competition Commission, which is under their Ministry of Commerce.