FULL CIRCLE FOR HAMID BADOR – FROM THE ‘DOGHOUSE’ TO IGP: AS GOOD AS SACKED BY NAJIB FOR INSISTING ON 1MDB PROBE, EX-SPECIAL BRANCH NO.2 NOW AWAITING OFFICIAL LETTER TO TAKE OVER FROM FUZI – REPORT

IT will be a full circle for former sidelined top cop Abdul Hamid Bador as he takes over from Mohamad Fuzi Harun as inspector-general of police next month, a government official said.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity said, Hamid’s appointment has received the consent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

“I’m not sure if the consent letter has been issued yet,” the official told The Malaysian Insight.

Fuzi officially retires on May 5 although his last day is expected to be on May 3, said the source.

“It’s not been decided when Hamid will take over,” he added.

Hamid told The Malaysian Insight that he has not received any such news.

“It can be anybody. It’s ok. I’m very immersed with my present tasks,”   he said.

Hamid, the acting deputy IGP, came into prominence in 2015 when he refused to clock in at Putrajaya after he was hastily transferred out from the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman over his criticism of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd investigations.

He was then the deputy Special Branch director.

After 37 years with the Royal Malaysian Police, Hamid was transferred to the Prime Minister’s Department to “oversee” security and transnational issues.

At a press conference in 2015, he had hinted that his transfer was prompted by his insistence for a full investigation into 1MDB. Then IGP Khalid Abu Bakar refuted the allegations that the transfer was politically motivated.

But after Pakatan Harapan’s surprise victory last year, Hamid was reinstated as the Special Branch director, taking over from Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff.

Hamid was among some of the key 1MDB investigators brought back into government service following PH’s win last year.

Others were former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) duo Abu Kassim Mohamed and Mohd Shukri Abdull, former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail and former Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz.

Kassim now heads the Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC) while Shukri leads MACC. Gani assisted in the 1MDB probe under PH while Zeti was appointed to the Council of Elders.

All five were either retired or transferred at the height of the 1MDB probe in 2015 for either criticising the government or allegedly leaking details about the probe to the public.

THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT