Kadir: When did making police reports become sabotage?

The police will disappoint the Rulers if they cannot get the co-operation of the people and live up to their royal tag.

KUALA LUMPUR: A former veteran newsman has warned in his latest blog posting that behind jargon, slogans and rhetoric like 1Malaysia, the people first, inclusiveness and moderation, there are emerging threats which are deep and comprehensive. “The police, for one, will disappoint the Rulers if they cannot get the co-operation of the people and live up to their royal tag.”

“Since when did making police reports become criminal, an act of sabotage?”

Since some of the leaders take pride in their origin from Java, said former New Straits Times (NST) Group Editor-in-Chief Kadir Jasin, it’s instructive to fall back upon the ancient wisdom of Java which in its original version in the majority language of the island talks about the impediments that the orang besar (leaders) face.

“It’s timely to keep these impediments in mind within the context of what’s happening in our country now, where money, power and women play the important role,” added the former veteran newsman.

Kadir has been left wondering, given recent moves by the Polis Di Raja Malaysia (Royal Malaysian Police), how it would get the co-operation of the people if surrendering documents to them and the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) are considered acts of sabotage. “How will they be able to fight crime and corruption without the co-operation of the people?”

“I must stress Royal Malaysian Police, in full, because many will wonder whether the force still remains loyal to the Agong.”

Here, it’s noteworthy said the former NST supremo that many like Bank Negara Governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz, former Special Branch Deputy Director Abdul Hamid Bador, and just retired Deputy MACC Commissioner Zakaria Jaffar have spoken up and are taking action where possible, pointed out Kadir. “They don’t want to be accused of being in cahoots with the powers-that-be on wrongdoing.”

In any case, the bottomline noted Kadir was the great possibility that anyone who lodges official complaints on 1MDB and the Prime Minister may be investigated and charged as a saboteur. “What happened to Khairuddin and Chang serves as a warning from the powers-that-be that anyone who lodges official complaints against 1MDB and the Prime Minister will probably be investigated and charged for ‘sabotage’.”

Already, he said, we have seen the new Attorney-General Mohd Apandi Ali giving his blessings to the charges against Khairuddin and Chang and at the same time rejecting a recommendation by Bank Negara that 1MDB officials be brought to book. “The AG’s attitude will only strengthen the resolve of MACC and Bank Negara, not to be intimidated by anyone.”

He was also referring to the fate that befell sacked Umno Batu Kawan deputy divisional chief Khairuddin Abu Hassan, 53, and his “comrade in crime” and lawyer, Matthias Chang, 65, a former aide to former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Both of them are currently in detention awaiting trial for ‘exposing’ wrongdoing at 1MDB and in the government, not only by lodging official complaints in the country, but in overseas jurisdictions where the company has interests.

“The actions of the powers-that-be on 1MDB will only result in the jurisdictions overseas going after the company hammer and tongs. They are not going to be discouraged by the actions in Malaysia.”

The Khairuddin, Chang case shows that the Najib camp, said Kadir, was in a dilemma over how to deal with its critics. “For example, the Najib faction is torn between expelling Umno Deputy President and sacked Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Umno Vice-President and sacked Federal Minister Shafie Apdal, or at least marginalizing them.”

The Barisan Nasional (BN) itself, stressed Kadir in continuing on the emerging threats, exists only in name.

In Sabah and Sarawak, the Orang Asal want the return of Full Autonomy and have distanced themselves from the crisis in Putrajaya, Umno Sabah has been divided down the middle and splintered following Shafie’s sacking, MIC has been paralyzed by internal crisis and has no time for national issues, and the recent MCA General Assembly saw open calls for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to step down.

In the peninsula, said Kadir, Umno has split and arranged against each other, one faction supporting Najib and the other faction behind Muhyiddin and Shafie. “At the divisional and branch levels, the leaders can no longer walk tall, lest they be shamed by their own members.”