Hamid says he did his part, now it’s up to new IGP.
Top cop Tan Sri Hamid Bador, who retires today, said he has done his part in exposing political interference in police affairs and that it is now up to his successor to decide how best to deal with the problem.
Hamid said there is no need for him to lodge a report against Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin for alleged meddling in matters of the police force as he has already revealed the problem to the public.
“I will leave this matter to my successor Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani,” Hamid said in Bukit Aman today after the handover of duties ceremony.
“I will leave it to the good judgement of the new IGP.
“I have exposed (Hamzah’s alleged involvement) and I will leave it to the police officers to follow up on it. I don’t necessarily have to make a report.”
Hamzah was conspicuously absent this morning at the handover of duties ceremony.
Attending in Hamzah’s stead were his two deputies, Dr Ismail Mohamed Said and Jonanthan Yassin, as seen in a live broadcast of the event on the police Facebook page.
No reason was provided during the event to explain Hamzah’s absence.
Last Friday in his last press conference as the IGP, Hamid took open aim at Hamzah, stating that the minister had overstepped his mark in meddling with police matters.
Hamid warned the country was on a slippery slope if politicians were allowed to act in such a manner.
“A minister cannot interfere in the affairs of the police force. The minister is only empowered to set policies.
“Don’t get upset (when I say that) the home minister has too much power. Come on,” he told editors in a press conference at the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman.
In a statement on Sunday (May 2), Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan had urged Acryl Sani to lodge a police report about the alleged political interference.
Sinar Harian quoted the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department as saying that a report would pave the way for an investigation into the allegations.
Meanwhile, PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should immediately act on the claims that there is political interference in police matters as not doing so could erode public confidence in the anti-graft body.
“The ball is now in the MACC’s court,” he said.
He also said Abdul Hamid’s claims of rampant corruption involving “political frogs” in the country was not new and should be investigated.
He said Abdul Hamid’s revelation only reinforces his and party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent claims that the “carrot-and-stick” approach was used to entice Opposition MPs to switch allegiance.
“The carrot is where you offer positions and allocations. The stick is when they send the authorities after you.
“PKR’s stance was made very clear when Anwar met the MACC director-general previously.
“The latest revelation by Abdul Hamid isn’t something new, it only reinforces our previous statements,” he said at a press conference at PKR’s headquarters in Merchant Square on Monday (May 3).
At the same time, Saifuddin also said politicians, irrespective of their political allegiance, should be investigated by the MACC if there are elements of graft.
Recently, Kelantan Umno Youth also urged MACC to investigate Kuala Langat MP Datuk Seri Xavier Jayakumar, Julau MP Larry Sng and Tebrau MP Steven Choong for switching allegiances from Pakatan to the Perikatan government.
Various groups have also called for Hamzah to be sacked or at least suspended pending an investigation.
Meanwhile, Acryl Sani, 59, takes over as the police chief from Hamid, who was IGP for two years.
Acryl Sani became the deputy IGP last August, replacing Mazlan Mansor, who retired after 41 years of service.
The new top cop previously led the Commercial Crime Investigation Department, the Strategic Resources and Technology Department, and the Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department in Bukit Aman.