“Many pretend they never saw anything happen although it happened in front of their two own eyes. This is the biggest problem we are facing.”
- Former inspector-general of police Hanif Omar
These words were the start of a decades-long association with former inspector-general of police Hanif Omar who passed away on Sunday.
What started as a reporter-police officer rebuke in August 1981 transformed into a working relationship and then friendship after he returned and joined the private sector having qualified as a lawyer, reading law in the United Kingdom.
At the time, Hanif (above) had called for a media conference to deny there was any form of police brutality following The Malay Mail’s three-page coverage on among others, the high-handedness of some police officers.
The dressing down was in public and the competition was sneering at my then-partner Frankie D’Cruz and I who had jointly penned the highly explosive articles.
There were no threats to detain us or prosecute us for criminal defamation. There was also no anger in his face.
He was clarifying a point and putting things in the right perspective. Then when all the questions had been answered, he talked about public apathy and the lack of cooperation from citizens on crime.
It was then that we approached Hanif for a chat to suggest that we be allowed to conduct an experiment to prove his claims of public apathy.
On Sept 3, 1981, I pretended to be an escaped “convict”. Dressed in black shorts and a white T-shirt, with handcuffs dangling from one wrist. I roamed the streets of Kuala Lumpur and no one bothered.
I was at a bus stop near what used to be the Klang bus terminal and then along Jalan Masjid India. I even went to a locksmith (as suggested by Hanif) in the area and requested that the latter use his skills to pick the handcuff.
From there I walked to Jalan Pasar where I boarded a mini bus. During that period, hundreds if not thousands of people had an opportunity to pounce on the “convict”.
On the bus, no one dared to look at the “convict”, turning their eyes elsewhere. One concerned “passenger” – D’Cruz who followed me on the “escapade”, asked those on the bus to jointly apprehend me but they were reluctant.
The mini bus driver was asked to drive directly to the Jalan Travers police station but he refused. The “convict” got off at what used to be the Railway Station and walked away.
That “man in the handcuffs” moniker stuck with me despite happening 43 years ago. I still have people recalling that reportage.
Two days later, we were seated in front of Hanif in his office with contention written all over his face. There were no “I told you so” retorts but for the next hour, it was on how difficult it was to be a police officer and the public’s hatred and contempt for those in uniform.
Hanif made it a point to emphasise why the police force is feared and sometimes, held in contempt. He stood by his personnel and protected the reputation of the force.
Talking about corruption in the force, Hanif recalled when he was a young officer based In Ipoh, he was directed to investigate a police officer for having bought a second-hand “Ford Prefect” for RM3,000.
A police constable owning a car was unacceptable in those days and Bukit Aman wanted a full report.
“He told me his father gave him the money and I had to go and see the father who said the money came from the sale of his ‘dusun’ (orchard),” Haniff said.
But the perception of the force, he had always argued, should change because the negative observations are not helping police with stopping crime and gave the reasoning.
“When you were young and refused to eat your food, your mother would frighten you by saying, “Eat the food or I will get the policeman to catch you.”
You grow up, he professed at that time, with an inherent fear of the police. This fear is carried into adulthood when you should be treating the police as your friend.
Reporters and cops
A few months later, I was seated outside his office when a delegation from the National Union of Journalists had been to his office to protest against the treatment of its members by the then Johor CID chief, CC Stevenson.
After they left, it was my turn with him on a separate matter wondering how Hanif had handled the union representatives.
Charlie, in reference to Stevenson, he said, was a good officer. He shouts at people but he has a good heart and does his job to perfection.
Hanif recalled the time he was a cadet officer when Stevenson was an instructor in the training school.
“He came to class and we stood up. Then he asked the cadet ASPs to stand up on the chair! He drilled a lot into us. He shouted at me too. Do I hold anything against him? None. To me, he is a good officer.”
Hanif established a rapport with reporters on the crime beat, knowing them by their first names. There was always friendly banter when he was around.
In 1998, long after his retirement, we were fellow passengers on a flight to London. We met after the check-in and had coffee with his friends.
I went my way and wondered if I would be able to talk to him on board because I was sure he would be in first or business class.
Imagine my surprise when the steward said, “Tun wants to see you in the front”.
There he was in economy class with his grandchildren on a holiday and then spent an hour with him before returning to my seat.
“I told Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) to give people like you more space. I told him he should go and watch the Instant Café Theatre and have a good laugh at himself but he declined,” Hanif said.
Hanif was also the team manager of the Thomas Cup Squad in 1982 and continued his association with badminton.
In 2010, he invited me to his office, and over coffee, he suggested I investigate what was going on in badminton.
“People tell me that the outcome of some matches is fixed and that some big names are involved. You better start cracking.”
It must have been disappointing that I could not make any headway.
Hanif had his shortcomings too, being accused of his role in “Operasi Lalang” in 1987, His testimony in Anwar Ibrahim’s first sodomy trial including “Operation Solid Grip” did not win many friends.
Later, he accused Lim Kit Siang of being involved in the May 1969 tragedy and was subjected to a defamation suit.
But despite all these, he continued nevertheless to persevere for a better Malaysia.
Rest in eternal peace, sir. - Mkini
R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who writes on bread-and-butter issues. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT
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