ANOTHER NAJIB COP OUT? Whitewash for police begins, Musa quits Sanjeevan's MyWatch

KUALA LUMPUR - It looks like an all-out and elaborate effort is underway to whitewash the alleged involvement of the Malaysian police in the illegal drugs syndicates in the country. If so, it would be the most damning indictment on Prime Minister Najib Razak's flailing administration, which has been accused of surrendering in the fight against crime, allowing the underworld to call the shots.

Just days ago, as crime activist R Sri Sanjeevan was recovering from surgery to remove a bullet from his ribcage, his family announced that he had developed amnesia and could not remember his name.

While understanding the family's fear and wish to protect Sanjeevan, many in the country were shocked at what was perceived as a blatant bid to appease the crime kingpins and their crooked police connections.

Perhaps just as shocking was the deafening silence from Najib's office, the Attorney-General's Chambers and the police themselves. None of the authorities made any effort to encourage Sanjeevan to continue with his tell-all or to reassure the family of the government's fullest protection should Sanjeevan expose the wrongdoers.

Sanjeevan, the chairman of anti-crime watchdog body MyWatch, was about to reveal the names of police officers allegedly linked to drug syndicates when he was gunned down on July 27.

Musa Hassan drops out of Sanjeevan's MyWatch: Shifting sides?

Today, news that former top cop Musa Hassan has quit as patron of MyWatch added further fuel to the suspicion that the Najib administration had caved in to fears of a bloody 'fight-to-death' with the underworld should they not allow 'sleeping dogs to lie'.

"You cannot blame people from suspecting a major cover up to protect the cops with connection to the drug lords or crime or vice syndicates. With Sanjeevan unable to remember because he now has amnesia, the police and the federal government can spin any story they wish to make the entire scandal disappear," PKR vice president Chua Jui Meng toldMalaysia Chronicle.

"We understand the ordeal Sanjeevan and his family have gone through. He nearly lost his life and the gun may still be pointed at him, so to speak. But there are no excuses for Najib and the top police chiefs. This is like waving a white flag to crime and the kingpins. Najib, the Home Minister and the AG should not fear taking the bull by the horns but as we have always suspected, they may also be afraid of the underworld. That may explain  why they have always resisted forming an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission or implementing tough reforms to tackle corruption in the force."

The Opposition politician was commenting on news that Musa, the former Inspector-General of Police, would be forming his own non-governmental organisation, Malaysia Community Crime Care Association.

"All will be revealed at our first meeting later today," former MyWatch secretary-general V Ravindran was reported as telling Malaysian Insider.

"I have also heard of disturbing news before Sanjeevan's shooting and decided to distance myself from MyWatch. I cannot say anything more as Sanjeevan's shooting is still under investigation."

Now no police involvement, only drug gangs - but is this true or a whitewash?

MyWatch adviser S Gobikrishnan has also said that earlier information on police's involvement in Sanjeevan's shooting was not true. He said new evidence has come up to suggest that the shooting was related to drug gangs.

"I am not saying anything more," said Gobi, declining to give further details.

Sanjeevan, 29, was shot gangland-style at a traffic light junction in Bahau, Negri Sembilan and is currently recuperating at Serdang Hospital.

"I met Sanjeevan on Friday night. He talked about a list of drug related offences and wanted me to expose them. I said I will look at it later," Opposition MP for Pandan Rafizi Ramli had said on Twitter.

"Sanjeevan wanted my help to expose cops with links to drug syndicates."

Sanjeevan was shot the next day on Saturday, July 27. Police are still waiting to interview him.

Pandora's Box of no return

The attempted Sanjeevan assassination triggered a spate of gangland executions throughout the country, with Home Minister Zahid Hamidi seizing on the case to call for a revival of draconian laws such as the Emergency Ordinance and Internal Security Act to deal with hardened criminals.

There was also intense speculation that the spate of killings were ordered by crime lords to protect their rackets and their connections in the police force from further exposure.

Indeed, in most of the shootings, the victims were members of gangs. Police have rubbished the rumors.

However, if left 'unchecked', a Pandora's Box could well have opened up, forcing the government to finally get serious in the fight against organized crime in the country.

It would also force the Malaysian authorities to deal with the long-standing links between the underworld and the police force, which have become too evident to deny, and to finally begin serious efforts to sever these.

Malaysia Chronicle