The Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) director of investigations, Mohd Shukri Abdul told the Sunday Star that the ACA “has begun investigating the senior politician who allegedly accepted more than RM5 million to assist in freeing several suspects detained under the Emergency Ordinance (EO)”.
Mohd Shukri said “they have identified the politician and also the witnesses allegedly involved”.
I am baffled by the latter statement, as what is there for the ACA to “identify” when the “senior politician” was named in the allegations posted on the Internet revealed by the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan in the Star report yesterday which first broke the story.
In yesterday’s Star front-page report, “Freedom for RM5m”, Musa said at least two websites had posted allegations and details of involvement of “a high-ranking politician”, who was allegedly paid at least RM5 million to free suspects from detention under the Emergency Ordinance (EO).
Although Musa said that two websites carried these allegations, I have only seen one of them which named the “senior politician” who is a Deputy Minister.
As reported by the New Sunday Times, the Deputy Minister is alleged to have been involved “in the improper release of three men suspected of being in a secret society and other illegal activities, including loan sharking, extortion, prostitution, assault and gambling”.
Although the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuki Seri Najib Razak has said that nobody was above the law and those who broke it would face action, his statement had been undermined and even contradicted by the Deputy Internal Security Minister, Datuk Foo Ah Kiow who denied (Sin Chew) that there had been any improper political influence to free suspects from detention under the Emergency Ordinance.
As the Deputy Minister alleged to have been paid at least RM5 million for the improper release of three suspects under the Emergency Ordinance has been named in the website referred to by the Inspector-General of Police, the Deputy Minister concerned should step forward publicly to declare his innocence.
Furthermore, the Deputy Minister being investigated in the RM5 million corruption allegation to free suspects from detention under Emergency Ordinance (EO) must go on indefinite leave until completion of the probe and he had been completely cleared of the serious charges.
This would also avoid all perceptions about the lack of independence, diligence and professionalism of the investigation involving the Deputy Minister as well as release the Abdullah administration from the taint of corruption.
Two weeks ago, Musa made a shocking confession when he spoke on “Crime and Changing Social Values in the Malaysian Society” during a seminar at the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) in Kuala Lumpur — that the Police is afflicted by the “close-one-eye” syndrome.
Musa lamented that in the war against crime, the police are at times frustrated by some politicians who want the police to “keep one eye open and one eye closed”.
Musa should explain the seriousness of the problem of “interfering politicians” including Deputy Ministers and Ministers wanting the police to “close one eye open and one eye closed” undermining and frustrating the war against crime.
this serves to confirm the believe that EO is for serving political means for political master and never was intended to be run independently.
Anyone has any idea which party this deputy minister belongs to?
UMNO or MCA?
[deleted]
anybody out there got the websites urls?
‘ Musa said at least two websites had posted allegations and details of involvement of “a high-ranking politicianâ€Â, who was allegedly paid at least RM5 million …. ‘
What are the websites? Can anyone tell me please.
Someone out there, please give us the websites..As usual, this will be swept under the carpet..AAB’s govt is worse than TDM’s…
Judges accused of corruption and having good times.
The Anti-corruption chief is alledged to be corrupted.
Police security personnel blows up model using special explosives.
PM denies buying a US$ 30 million yatch and RM 200 million plane, but is rumoured to have secretly re-married even his family doesn’t even know.
DPM rumoured to have been slapped by his Mrs in public but puts on a brave face. Semua-ny OK. Wife maybe in control.
Snoop squads told to stop spying on errant couples, public advised to wear chastity belts.
Our Rela ‘stormtroopers’ makes you welcomed.
Minister says he is not “Dracula” but grooms himself to look like one.
Ex-Chief Minister has to pay up massive gamblig debts.
Deputy Minister alledgedly authorises the release of criminals.
And plenty more.
And we are barely into 2007. Lets visit Malaysia 2007. 50 years of progress.
This is a link to MT comment which, well…basically tells all.
http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/newsncom.php?itemid=2856
It Is OUR KUBANG PASU Man: Datuk Johari Baharum (source: Malaysiakini.com).
Mahathir will be happy now, indeed he was defeated by a corupt man.
The Deputy Internal Security Minister, indeed!
Who’s his boss? PM AAB
Who’s the BNM person who lost RM30b in forex speculation losses in the earli 90’s? Tan Sri Nor Mohammad Yaakob, currently Finance Minister II.
Who’s his boss? PM AAB
Razak Baginda’s tryst and subsequent disaster with the model, is buddy-buddy and right-hand man to who? DPM Najib Tun Razak
Who’s his boss? PM AAB
Wow! Is it not reasonable therefore to conclude that PM AAB has been checked at 3 corners, and now has painted himself into the last corner? How is he going to get out of the sh*thouse, I wonder.
It’s closing in, no doubt about it.
No wonder the need for a new plane. I remember about 2 decades ago, a dictator leader from a near neigbouring contry flew very quickly to Hawaii, with the wife taking her thousands of shoes as well…
Restore the rule of law now.
There are scandals and alleged improprieties being reported everywhere – Zulkipli, now Johari Baharum. The PM is said to be “sleepingâ€Â. But it is during the “sleeping†PM’s watch that all these surface, given media coverage and exposure, and something attempted to be done about them – all in the name of transparency, accountability and integrity of government that the “sleeping†PM has benchmarked as yardstick, whether or not he is seen walking the talk . During Mahathir’s watch we didn’t hear of such things openly. It did not mean they were not there.
This is nothing new – except, perhaps, for the price tag.
The going rate to break the “chain of evidence” in drug cases was about RM10,000.00 That is very cheap considering the fact that the prisoner was facing the gallows.
The usual system of patronage started by TDM where a tainted politician or civil servant would be hauled up privately to ensure eternal allegiance. AAB is no different, and what most of us are unhappy about are the exhortations of transparency, accountability, integrity and then he goes about doing the opposite.
In Bodohland, everything has a price, including integrity. God help this country when this principle goes right up to the very top.
Whether or not he talks of lofty principles of transparency, accountability and integrity and immediately goes about doing the opposite concerns him, his conduct & credibility, what people will eventually perceive of him as a leader.
Whilst that is important – and I’m not saying it is not – the larger picture of which we should take note is that by him repeatedly being held to his words and values (transparency, accountability and integrity) as yardstick by which government’s and public officials’ actions are measured, there is change, albeit tentative towards right direction.
I don’t think it can be denied that there is now greater openness and public debate the exercise of which beginning in Internet medium spills over to mainstream media, notwithstanding manacled by Printing Publication and Press Act.
Of course, today we have just as much if not more shit (pardon the expression) as before but at least with all these talk about “transparency, accountability and integrity†being the basis of measurement of government’s and public officials’ actions – by not only us and civil society but also between themselves of themselves when they use these yardsticks to get at each other’s throats in competition over the spoils of patronage & largesse – and a concomitant relaxation of restraints on public debate, all the shit gets to surface (judging from the number of scandals being serially publicly exposed) where it was never before. And that is a good thing – all these shenanigans and peccadilloes get to be exposed which otherwise remain buried in syndrome of denial. Even ACA director general gets taken to task; there is also occasional breaking of ranks, as ministers contradict ministers, IGP complaining openly about political interference, top judge admitting that there is something rotten within judiciary. Whence has this happened before?
Compare the situation to what it was then under TDM and compare the situation with neighbouring countries including down Southern neighbour.
He has inherited a corrupt legacy from predecessor and he operates within limiting conditions of a political and cultural milieu permeated with feudal and tribal values of patronage, corruption and racial discrimination. Above all, he is concerned with personal political survival, not free from blandishment of power – nor the ability to rise very much above the system from which he rose to power in first instance.
But his big talk does set and entrench the proper benchmarks so that these may be used by the rest of us, and all and sundry including themselves in measurement of themselves. That’s the Good he can so far be identified with.
Why care that he exhorts transparency, accountability, integrity and then he goes about doing the opposite (that’s only concerning about him) when we could use what he exhorts to get others to abide or at least to pretend to abide by these values and move along in right direction (that’s concerning the larger society)? Isn’t that slowly happening now which is for the better?
Anybody sees the big picture?
Seems like KEm AAb and Kem TDM are waging internecine battles to weed off each other’s foot soldiers. It’s the equivalent of Hamas and Fatah in Bolehland. It’s just my fertile imagination.
Tell me I am wrong or join me to watch more sparks fly! Especially with the GE and UMNO elections drawing nearer with each passing day.
My take is that the GE will be within the next 6 months. Any further delay will deprive AAB of much needed oxygen and he will asphyxiate.
Deputy Internal Security Minister Mohd Johari Bahrum has strongly denied the allegations against him. We can agree that he is not to be adjudged guilty unless proven otherwise beyond reasonable doubt.
However, there are certain aspects of his public denial – the accusations against the police, and obliquely the IGP – that are anomalous, and come as a disconcerting surprise.
I am very surprised that a Deputy Internal Security Minister like him, who, in the chain of command is on top of the IGP and the police force, should make a public attack in media against his own men and subordinates under his charge in such a manner.
Johari had said that “people have posted all sorts of lies and claims against politicians and other government officials on the internet. He then asked why the police was not going after those who posted such things that “tarnished and damaged those named†in the postings, and instead investigate him.
Now in the ordinary course of things why would the police do that to their immediate political boss??? They are not political rivals.
In a telephone interview with The Sun (see The Sun page 2), our IGP had already said that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had directed him to get to the bottom of the allegations which surfaced last week. The Deputy PM Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak publicly endorsed a thorough investigation. IGP Tan Sri Musa had also assured all a fair and thorough investigation of the allegations.
Now why would UMNO chieftains order the IGP to get to the bottom of the allegations even though they emanated from the internet?
Another accusation leveled at the police is that they are not following standard operating procedure (SOP) when carrying out investigations on Emergency Ordinance (Public Order & Prevention of Crime) (“EOâ€Â) cases, thus forcing him to release the detainees. He was quoted by NST March 5th page 2 as saying: “I am disappointed with the police for giving me files at the last minute. I only have 3 or 4 days to scrutinize the cases and decide whether to send these people to Simpang Renggam, as they would not be brought to courtâ€Â.
Now the police know enough of the 3 secret society kingpins whom they have detained under EO released by Johari. The police could not fathom the rationale for the release. Neither can some of us.
Being kingpins, they run their organized crime fiefdom of gambling, prostitution and illegal gambling enforced by gangsterism through tiers of proxies of whom none will provide sufficient evidence against the kingpins to satisfy standards of proof required in courts for fear for their lives or the lives of their families.
Which is why the police arrested and detained them under EO in the first place.
Now if the Deputy Internal Security Minister felt that, with only 3 or 4 days, he did not have sufficient time to decide on signing the detention order under EO to send the 3 kingpins to Simpang Renggam, then he equally has not sufficient time to decide that the kingpins should be freed by signing on the release order. What is there to stop him, the boss of the police, from deferring his decision, requiring more time to study the cases and meanwhile send the kingpins back to Bukit Aman for remand until he makes up his decision? I find it very incredulous that the embattled minister should now posture himself as champion of civil liberties and lecture us and the police about the dangers of EO being a preventive law.
Johari said that the decision was collectively made by an independent advisory board of legal advisors made up of judges and ex judges. Can we know the names of these board members who agreed with him on the release of the 3 kingpins? We like to know what their views are on this issue.
BTW, it’s tragic that AAB and TDM’s camps are all horny and have closets-full of exploded skeletons.
These are the ‘creme de la creme’ of BN leaders who will lead the party into the next GE. We should be damned if we vote for BN!
YB, can do a poll on your blog or not? Would be interesting to get every reader to poll and assess the ground temperature (with safeguards to ensure no email address poll twice).
No wonder the post of Deputy Interior Minister is a hot seat and it is like striking a lottery when you are in that position.I remember Datuk Megat Junid was once holding the same position of this scandalous chap.He was holding that post for more than a decade and why was he not promoted?I bet you guess is good as mine!
Wasn’t there a scandal involving him? Megat Junid and Mahathir attended the same school in Alor Setar . Daim and Megat Junid were contemporaries. Anybody who is anybody used to come from that one school.
The “old school tie” under Mahathir was very important to him and it influenced many of his decisions. Tajuddin Ramli came from the same school and there are many others.
School of Scandals?
This case only shows how laws like ISA and EO can be so easily manipulated to suit our political leaders.
There is simply too much power given to ministers when even the court of law is excluded. Our MPs should be asked to include a judicial review after say one month of detention.
http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/corridors.php?itemid=2866
for the Sabah one