Malaysia is going to stay on as a Police State under Musa

Musa Hassan stays on as IGP

Musa has been given a one-year extension to his contract despite opposition from various quarters. – File picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — The Home Ministry has renewed Tan Sri Musa Hassan’s contract as the Inspector-General of Police for one more year until September 2010, despite the opposition’s claims that he is biased and has not brought down the national crime index.

The 38-year veteran police officer currently has a two-year contract that expires September 13. The Police Force Commission had recommended the one year extension for the 57-year-old law graduate in July, The Malaysian Insider reported on July 13.



He came to national prominence 11 years ago when investigating sacked deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s corruption and sodomy cases. Anwar, who is now opposition leader, has accused him of fabricating evidence.

Anwar’s Pakatan Rakyat has also blamed Musa for not fighting crime but instead pandering to the ruling Barisan Nasional government by harassing and detaining activists, opposition leaders and supporters.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak last week ordered Musa to take action against a group of protesters who dragged along a severed cow-head in a dispute over a relocated Hindu temple in Shah Alam.

Witnesses said the riot police on duty did not take action while opposition politicians complained of double-standards by the police, citing the heavy action against activists wearing black, holding candle-light vigils and Pakatan assemblymen trying to have state assembly meetings in Ipoh.

Musa joined the police service as an inspector on Nov 11, 1969. Since then, he has held several important posts including as Malacca prosecuting officer in 1973, Bukit Aman Narcotics Division director in 1981 and Kuala Kubu Baru Police College lecturer in 1986.

He held the post of Bukit Aman prosecution/criminal law deputy assistant director in 1995 and was Johor chief police officer in 2003. In 2004, he was appointed Criminal Investigation Department director before being made Deputy Inspector-General of Police a year later.

Musa succeeded Tan Sri Mohamed Bakri Omar as the Inspector-General in September 2006 despite allegations of corruption.

In July 2007, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail ordered the then Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) to close their investigations that linked Musa to the release of three members of illegal betting syndicates.

He was then given a two-year extension in September 2007 when he reached retirement age.

Veteran Umno leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah had also weighed in on the proposed extension a month ago, criticising the routine extension of service for top civil servants which he said creates cults of personality and promotes a cosy relationship between senior officers and their political masters.

He said that this process erodes the independence of the service as a whole. Umno's Pulai MP Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed had also criticised the possible extension in his column in The Malaysian Insider, citing the lack of efforts to stem crime.

MI

03/09/09