Media Statement (2) by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Thursday, 16^th July 2009: 

Meeting with Hishammuddin on the need for a new IGP to fulfill Najib’s pledge of “People First. Performance Now” and provide new police leadership and culture to reverse the tide of crime in the past five years

I propose to meet the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein on the need for the country to have a new Inspector-General of Police to fulfill Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s pledge of “People First. Performance Now” and to provide new police leadership and culture to reverse the tide of crime in the past five years.

I will seek confirmation that Hishamuddin is backing Tan Sri Musa Hassan’s renewal for another term as Inspector-General of Police although he failed on all counts in his three years as IGP (one year as IGP and two years as renewal of his term) on what the Dzaiddin Police Royal Commission have outlined as the three core functions of an efficient, incorruptible, professional world-class police service – to keep crime low, eradicate corruption and protect human rights.

Musa is now talking about the police giving priority to stamp out street crimes, when this is one of his greatest failures as IGP in the past three years.

I don’t think Musa himself can remember the number of times he had declared an “all-out war against crime” in the past three years which have all ended up in “all thunder but no rain”!

If an IGP with such dismal KPIs on the core functions of the police service could have his term renewed a second time, all the talk of Prime Minister Najib of “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” would be totally discredited.

Dare Musa make public his report card of what he had achieved in his three years as IGP in the three core police functions outlined by the Police Royal Commission?

Is Hishammuddin seriously suggesting that none of the other eight top police officers occupying key police positions below the post of IGP are not qualified or competent enough to become the new IGP to provide a new police leadership and culture to roll back the tide of crime in the past five years?

According to the police website, these eight top police officers are:

• Tan Sri Ismail bin Hj. Omar (Deputy Inspektor General, Timbalan Ketua Polis Negara)

• CP Dato’ Zul Hasnan Najib bin Baharudin (Pengarah Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Narkotik)

• CP Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri bin Zinin (Pengarah Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah)

• CP Dato’ Abdul Razak bin Bokhari (Pengarah Jabatan Pengurusan)

• CP Datuk Seri Ramli bin Shaari (Pengarah Cawangan Khas)

• CP Dato’ Hussin bin Hj. Ismail (Pengarah Jabatan KDN/KA)

• CP Dato’ Koh Hong Sun (Pengarah Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Komersil)

• CP Dato’ Mashuri bin Zainal (Pengarah Jabatan Logistik)

• CP Dato’ Mohamad Fuzi bin Harun [Pengarah Pasukan Petugas Khas (Operasi/Counter Terrorism)]

In this connection, why has the government resorted to the unsatisfactory practice of invariably appointing a new Inspector-General of Police from officers who have only one or two years of service left, and even with extension are only likely to become time-servers rather than visionary leaders without the time frame to carry out any long-term planning and implementation of police reforms?

Do away with any extension for IGPs. Instead, appoint an IGP who would have longer span of service to carry out long-term planning and implementation of police reforms.

The country’s most famous IGP was Tun Hanif Omar who was appointed IGP at the age of 35 in June 1974 and went on to serve with distinction for two decades until his retirement in January 1994. May be 20 years is too long for anyone to become an IGP, but one year or two years are downright ridiculous!

I have been baffled by reports that the Police Force Commission, which is constitutionally responsible for the appointment and emplacement of members of the police force, has backed a second extension of the service of Musa as the country’s IGP in September.

I have three questions:

• When did the Police Force Commission meet and endorsed Musa’s extension as IGP.

• What were the reasons for the Police Force Commission’s decision to back Musa’s extension as IGP, are they in line with the “People First. Performance Now” motto of the Prime Minister, could these reasons be made public and can they withstand public scrutiny?

• How can the Police Force Commission recommend the extension of Musa’s service as IGP when Musa is himself a member of the Commission?

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor