Sunday, December 30, 2012

Anti-crime group says Hisham’s high-ranking liaison bypasses IGP


KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 — Anti-crime watchdog MyWatch cried power abuse today over the appointment of a police deputy commissioner as Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s special liaison officer to the police force. 
The non-governmental organisation complained in a statement here that by appointing Datuk Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohamad, a police officer of such high rank, it would enable the minister to bypass the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) when issuing orders to the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP).
“This clearly shows that Home Minister (is) indeed meddling into PDRM matters without relaying orders directly to IGP himself. 
“This is also another form of waste of police resources and show non-productivity,” MyWatch chairman Sri Sanjeevan said in a statement here. 
According to MyWatch, the Prime Minister’s aide-de-camp is only ranked Assistant Commissioner of Police, but Wan Ahmad Najmuddin ranks higher, and earns the same as a Chief Police Officer, Officer in Charge of Criminal Investigation or Officer Commanding Police District. 
The NGO also expressed its disappointment that complaints addressed to Hishammuddin(picture) over his Twitter account @HishammuddinH2O were only forwarded to Wan Ahmad Najmuddin’s account @tok_we which has hardly been used. 
Last week, MyWatch alleged that top police officers are involved in money laundering, illegal gambling, prostitution, football bookmaking and have direct links with underworld figures. 
It also questioned what it said was the inaction and silence of Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar in the face of evidence of misconduct which the group said it would provide the authorities. 
“Why should he choose to keep quiet, and why can’t he act without fear and favour on corrupt officers?” Sanjeevan said. 
MyWatch first came to prominence when its patron, former IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan, revealed that several ministers and politicians, including Hishammuddin had taken direct command of the police force. 
Following his revelation, Musa and the group had been criticised by a number of former public figures including former Commercial Crimes Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Ramli Yusuff, former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) panel adviser Tan Sri Robert Phang, and ex-Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim. 
Hishamuddin had then announced that the government will not get in between Musa and Ramli as its priority was improving the police force, but will instead let the quarrelsome duo battle out their grievances against each other. 
The minister also questioned Musa’s motive in alleging interference from the executive in police operations. 
“(Musa) used to work with me ... but he had never made all these sorts of comments. 
“Why is he bringing up these issues now?” Hishammuddin asked, and added, “This is all because of the elections, that is why.”

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