Hanif, why wasn't Najib arrested under ISA?

'So now Hanif has spoken, he is answerable as to why selective arrest was made. The more you try to spin the story, the more questions will emerge.'

Former police chief backs up Mahathir's story

Sarajun Hoda: Interesting. Former inspector-general of police Hanif Omar is a liar. He once said in court that he did not know gambling is 'haram' in the Quran. He lies again when he said that Operasi Lalang was entirely a police action. He is taking 'haram' money from Genting Bhd as deputy chairperson.

The cream of opposition leaders were arrested and police were acting on their own? And that then PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad was helpless?

Mahathir is also a big liar. He signed the detention extensions and he said he was helpless? The last sentence in the report however is telling - Hanif is suggesting that the police are no longer independent.

Moontime: This coming from a guy who couldn't find any verse in the Quran about prohibiting gambling? I find it hard to believe. Ops Lalang had to happen because Umno at that time was facing its worst crisis ever. To shore up support among the Malays, Mahathir has to do something drastic.

Mahathir is indeed incredible. He fully subscribes to Machiavellian tactics. When caught with his pants down, he blames other people. In this case, the police. I think God made him live this long so that he may see for himself the ultimate failure of all the things he worked for... padan muka.

Dicey Rules: That this 'fast-foot, two-step' by the two old Tuns - Hanif and Mahathir - is probably the best anyone in the 'permanent government' can think of simply shows how bereft of any plausible defence those desperate regime-saving moves were.

Equally desperate is their expectation that people will now believe this nonsense. That a police chief can act as he pleases, outside the law, yet under its blessing? That a prime minister has no overriding duty, no sacred obligation, to uphold the law and the constitution against such praetorian presumption and arbitrary violation?

Come off it fellers, this is just too much.

Kgen: So the 'independent' police force decided to arrest a large group of opposition leaders and activists and only a handful of Umno and MCA politicians? Do they think we are idiots? Ops Lalang had the mark of Dr Mahathir Mohamad all over it.

5fb: Hanif's comments, instead of clarifying the murky waters of the situation, has muddied the water further and opened up a can of worms. What is a home minister for in the first place? Just sign the ISA detention orders recommended by the police, then pronounced, 'I have no choice, the police required me to sign,' and still hope that his credibility is still intact?

Quigonbond: Mahathir was at that time home minister, responsible for internal affairs. If he was principled enough to not want Ops Lalang, he could have gone on a fact-finding mission before it happened. If he didn't want Ops Lalang, he could have stood with the opposition leaders and in one unified voice proclaim that there was no violence.

If after the opposition leaders were detained, he could still have released them as early as possible instead of letting them languish in Kamunting for two years.

It was politically expedient for him to go along with the police and thus he was complicit in this abuse of power. What's left to be determined is whether the police intelligence was wrong, or the police took instructions from some extremists to provide him with false intelligence.

Dr M's revelation requires nothing less than a royal commission of inquiry to look into the events leading up to Ops Lalang, because by blaming the police, Dr M is saying as much that it was wrong.

Multi Racial: Mahathir said the police recommended it. Well, that is normal. But as the then home minister he could choose to listen to the police or overrule it. In this case, he took the police advice and executed it. From then on, he was responsible for that decision.

Even if the home minister was someone else, as prime minister he had the power to influence the home minister. The bottom line is the buck stopped at the then PM. So why bother to bring the matter up now? Feeling guilty?

David Yee154a: Mahathir met the opposition leaders beforehand? Who were they? Lim Guan Eng? Lim Kit Siang? Karpal Singh? Can we hear from them the truth? Was Ops Lalang a smokescreen to divert many of Mahathir's massive misdeed? For example, the PLUS Highway was questioned by the opposition when it was awarded to a dubious company under Mahathir.

If Ops Lalang was so effective, pray tell, what about the Umno politicians who headed a huge protest at a national stadium? Why were they not detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA)? Was this selective action by the inspector-general of police to assist the government of the day?

Aku Melayu: I hope Hanif's clarification answers all those who are still sceptical about Mahathir's statement that it wasn't he who ordered the Ops Lalang in 1987. And I strongly believe that apologies are due to him from all of you who had doubted him.

Rayfire: Do you expect us to buy this story? I know some will. Especially those who are overzealous about using the 1Malaysia symbol. So now Hanif has spoken, he is answerable as to why selective arrest was made. The last part of the article mentioned about Najib leading a protest in Kampung Baru - was he arrested? Why not?

So the more you try to spin the story, the more questions will emerge. And for some who are convinced with this explanation, it only goes to show how gullible you are.

Malaysiawatch4: It is possible that the IGP told the home minister that under the ISA the police have the authority to detain for 60 days without the home minister's approval. So shouldn't Mahathir explain why he extended the detention orders for two years?

G Annamalai: If Mahathir were a righteous man, as a leader he would have convinced the police against Ops Lalang, after all he was the one who signed the detention orders. At least he shouldn't have extended the detention order beyond the 60-day limit.

Hanif, as a man of conscience (if at all you are one), don't you think that would have been seen to be fair? By Hanif saying that the police were entirely responsible for the crackdown, can we take it that Mahathir was not in control of the situation then, and therefore he was a hostage of the police?

Anak Bangsa Malaysia: At the end of the day, it does not matter if it was Dr M or Hanif who was responsible. A total of 106 people were arrested and detained for nothing. Worse still, why was Najib not detained for organising the rally in Kampung Baru?

On the other hand, people who were detained were Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh, who are today seen by the rakyat as champions for justice. They have emerged stronger and the rakyat know their contributions. To Mahathir and Hanif - both of you are losers.

Shame on you for attempting to confuse the rakyat. People are not as stupid as you both think. - Malaysiakini