Police should stop investigating Anwar Ibrahim over an alleged audio clip between the opposition leader and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi since Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin said there was nothing wrong with a leaked audio of him speaking to another person about police appointments, DAP’s Ramkarpal Singh said.
The lawyer and DAP legal bureau chief said Hamzah’s admission that it was indeed his voice in a viral audio clip discussing the selection of police officers, was a far more serious matter.
“(Hamzah’s) audio clip cannot be ignored without consequence.
“If there was no wrongdoing, why was there a need for Anwar to have been hauled up recently by police for his statement to be taken over an audio recording in which he allegedly spoke?
“If there was no wrongdoing by Hamzah, why the double standards in investigating Anwar in a similar situation?” the Bukit Gelugor MP asked.
Hamzah today admitted that it is his voice in a recent widely shared audio clip on the appointment of Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani as the new inspector-general of police.
Hamzah said he did nothing wrong in speaking to another man on the phone whom he described as a “very important person”.
“The one who’s in the wrong is the person who taped my conversation,” he added.
In the clip, the man could be heard saying the Yang di-Pertuan Agong would like Acryl to be the new IGP.
Hamzah is also heard making references to “our boy” and our men”. Without naming Hamid, the home minister also said that names can only be suggested for appointments but that only he (Hamzah) could decide since he is the chairman of the Police Services Commission.
Below is the transcript of the conversation between Hamzah and an identified man in which they spoke about recommending Acryl for the job.
Hamzah: “Nak tak kalau I bagi orang kita, kena naik pangkat dia…” (Would you like me to give it to our man, we’ll have to promote him)
Man: “Hmmm…”
Hamzah: “And dia memang orang Perak, dia budak Ipoh apa semua, very good. Memang Tuanku akan suka dialah. I’m now chairman of Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Polis. Kalau Tuanku kata okay, lagi bagus, because dia budak kita, budak Perak, family semua kat sana…” (And he’s from Perak, he’s an Ipoh boy, very good. Tuanku will definitely like him. I’m now the Police Service Commission chief. If Tuanku says okay, that’s even better, because he’s our boy, Perak boy, his whole family’s there.)
Man: “Okay.”
Hamzah: “Then it will be good for us. Because that’s why I will choose yang I know la siapa yang Tuanku okay apa semua… Now kita nak letak pengarah-pengarah because I’ve taken over. I’ve told him I said that you tak boleh ada choice, you hanya boleh bagi nama-nama. Katalah aku (tidak jelas) lima orang. You let me know, we will decide.” (Then it will be good for us. Because that’s why I’ll choose the one I know who Tuanku will be okay with…. Now we have to place the directors because I’ve taken over. I’ve told him that you can’t have the choice, you can only give the names. I say (audio unclear) five people. You let me know, we will decide.)
Man: “Hmm.”
Hamzah: “Not for you to decide anymore like before. All the ketua polis negeri dia tak boleh decide.” (Not for you to decide anymore like before. All the state police chiefs, he may not decide.)
Prior to this, Hamzah was implied to have interfered with the transfers of police officers as part of the outgoing IGP Abdul Hamid Bador’s efforts to clean the force of corruption.
Ramkarpal said Hamzah’s admission today should be investigated, as it suggested interference by the Home Ministry in the appointment of senior police officers.
“In light of the above, Hamzah is wrong to say there was no wrongdoing on his part and ought to be investigated now that he has confirmed that the voice in the said recording was his.
“Incoming IGP Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani would do well to initiate such investigations against Hamzah as one of his first assignments as IGP, failing which, the perception that there exists double standards in investigations relating to government leaders compared to opposition leaders will certainly remain,” said Ramkarpal.