Razarudin Husain has been appointed the new inspector-general of police (IGP), while Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay has been made his deputy.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced the matter today with Razarudin’s appointment being on a contract basis for the next two years.
“It is informed that as stipulated under Clause 4 and 5 of Article 140 of the Federal Constitution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, upon the advice of the prime minister on the authority of the Royal Malaysian Police has approved the contractual appointment, after the retirement of Razarudin, as the IGP for two years effective from June 23, 2023, until June 22, 2025,” he said in a statement.
Razarudin, 61, was previously the deputy IGP from 2021. Before that, he was Bukit Aman Narcotics Investigations Department director.
In a separate statement, Saifuddin similarly announced the appointment of Ayob Khan as the deputy inspector-general of police.
Ayob Khan was previously the Criminal Investigation Department director in Bukit Aman.
He was also formerly the Johor police chief and had a brief stint as Bukit Aman Narcotics Investigations Department director.
Malaysiakini previously reported that Razarudin’s term as IGP may be a short one, as he has passed the retirement age.
Ayob is said to be on the path to taking over as IGP after Razarudin, according to sources.
This comes after former IGP Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani opted for early retirement, four months before the expiry of his contract.
Razarudin was born in Dengkil, Selangor and has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences (Police Studies) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Ayob was born on July 27, 1966, in Kota Setar, Kedah and has a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
The 57-year-old is known for his no-nonsense approach to fighting crime.
Malaysiakini reported that it is not a secret that the Johor ruler has taken a liking for Ayob since the latter was posted to Johor as the state police chief in 2020.
“It is pretty obvious that Tuanku wants Ayob as IGP. Ayob has impressed Tuanku and showed his loyalty when he led the Johor police contingent,” said its source.
Sources claimed that Ayob has managed to impress Sultan Ibrahim with his professionalism on the job, wiping out notions that he might be on former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s side.
When Ayob’s posting to Johor was announced on Feb 6, 2020, Mahathir was the prime minister, who was widely known to be not on good terms with the Johor ruler.
“So, when Ayob was sent to Johor as the state police chief, many thought that he was sent by Mahathir due to the timing. Furthermore, he also hails from Kedah, so that added to the rumour.
“But Ayob had explained to Tuanku that he is not interested in getting involved with politics and proved that by being professional.”