Carpets, mattresses and dirty linen

Carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan and ex-IGP Musa Hassan have stirred up more political controversies. The question on everyone’s lips is, “Why are they singing now?”

COMMENT

Former inspector general of police Musa Hassan claimed that he was unsuccessful in his efforts to alert his superiors, the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and the Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to the problems in the police force.

Should we believe him as it is his word against theirs? Najib and Hishammuddin have not issued a denial. They may be seething on the inside, but have chosen to remain silent. Their “good name” has been kicked into the gutter, and they do nothing to defend themselves. Perhaps they are too stunned to react.

It is ironic that senior Umno politicians claim to be able to unite the Malays, when it is clear that the party is itself divided.

It is ironic that Musa has blamed the spread of gangster politics in political campaigning when during his tenure as IGP, he allegedly protected gangsters and criminal syndicates.

It is ironic that Musa assumes the moral high ground when most people revile him for allegedly fabricating evidence for his political masters.

Carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan and Musa Hassan have stirred up more political controversies. The question on everyone’s lips is “Why are they singing now?”

Is it for selfish reasons, to save their own skins because they believe that Umno will lose in GE-13? Are they turning state’s witness, to be the first ones to provide evidence implicating the others, in the hope of escaping punishment should Umno lose in GE-13?

Or are they puppets who have been tasked with derailing the opposition, by appearing to act against the interests of Umno? Is Umno just sacrificing a pawn to take a bishop?

Are key people, like the former heads of the MACC, the Election Commission, MAS, Proton, TNB, waiting in the wings, ready to provide damning evidence against Umno?

The shocking revelations by both men occurred within days of each other and took the public by surprise. The men stole the thunder from the 66th Umno general assembly.

Deepak is a business man with close ties to the prime minister’s spouse. The other is a former member of the establishment and privy to the workings of government.

The timing of their disclosures cannot be a coincidence. Why did they wait years before finally revealing the information?

Insurance policy

They are mistaken if they think they will be perceived as men of integrity. Instead, they are seen as opportunists or desperate men who are taking out insurance to protect themselves against possible prosecution.

Deepak made public the embarrassing details about land deals closely linked to Najib, and Musa described the interference by Najib’s cousin, Hishammuddin in the running of the police force.

The silence of Najib, his spouse Rosmah Mansor and Hishammuddin does not exonerate them. It was left to their colleagues, to defend them but the damage was done. The public is now aware of the deep divisions within Umno.

Musa’s outburst may have given the opposition movement a boost, but that momentum for change was unstoppable, with or without Musa’s revelations.

The opposition coalition is on a winning streak and the rakyat is passionate for change and reform. The opposition should use any ammunition available, to bring down Umno.

The people working in the civil service, the GLCs and the government are gripped by a culture of fear. Musa is not the first to say that he could not speak out when he was in office, but isn’t it convenient for Musa to hide his poor leadership and his failings by claiming that he had tried to help his men?

He claims that he can speak freely, now because he is no longer a government servant. The rakyat is fed-up with the usual refrain “We couldn’t talk then”.

Musa may choose to adopt the moral high ground but our minds are etched with the image of Musa, the policeman who paraded the semen stained mattress in the trial of Opposition Leader, Anwar Ibrahim in Sodomy I, and the memory of Musa who let his men down with his lies and cover-ups, by acting for Umno politicians and their cronies. Musa failed to uphold the professionalism, tenets and traditions of the police force.

The rakyat is weary of the games played by corrupt politicians. They are tired of frogs and turncoats. They despise men who are self-serving and think nothing of sacrificing their professional integrity. When will men from the judiciary come forward and reveal all?

Will the men from the MACC do the same? And the immigration department? Or the Election Commission? And key government departments and GLCs?

Dirty business

Many of the revelations of Musa and Deepak are not new. We have long suspected our leaders of corrupt practices and of meddling in the affairs of departments and of companies.

Politics is a dirty business and politicians make use of one another, both from within and outside their party, to secure deals or create dissent.

Is there no honour in Malaysian politics? Isn’t it true that loyalty depends on the highest bidder?

If Deepak and Musa want to turn state’s witness and help bring some order to the country, then they should be encouraged. These men are not singing for moral reasons. They are trying to save their own skins. They have calculated that to tell all now is more advantageous than waiting till after GE-13.

If Musa is as highly principled as he claims, why didn’t he arrange a press conference, when he was the IGP and invite the foreign media and representatives of the diplomatic corps to hear his revelations, including the details of the meddling by politicians?

Malaysian leaders thrive on their international image. Malaysia’s top-cop fighting for the independence and integrity of his police-force, would have created shock waves. It would have been more effective than naming and shaming his peers, years later and might have precipitated an earlier decline of Umno. By acting selfishly, Musa betrayed his men and the rakyat.

Will other key people sing too?

Mariam Mokhtar is a FMT columnist.