RM27m cop, RM34m cop and corruption allegations against top cops – Is IGP Musa prepared for independent inquiry?


Today’s New Straits Times report “ACA probes cop with RM27m assets” has refocused public attention on corruption in the police force and raised the question whether the Royal Police Commission’s three key recommendations that the nation should have an efficient and professional world-class police service to reduce crime, eradicate corruption and respect human rights have made any appreciable progress in the past two years.

According to the NST, a senior police officer at Bukit Aman is being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) for abuse of power and failing to declare RM27 million worth of assets.

It is understood that the officer is also a company director and the RM27 million fortune was amassed illegally.

The NST report said:

Sources familiar with the case said ACA officers from Putrajaya took a statement from the officer at his office yesterday.

“The officer, who is in his 50s, is a director of a company which was awarded a project in April to develop an area in Lahad Datu,” a source said.

“Several villagers voiced their opposition to the project when the company staff went to the area to do surveying work.

“The police officer allegedly ordered the villagers to be arrested,” the source added.

The ACA started its investigation following an anonymous telephone call about two weeks ago.

Malaysians are reminded of the Royal Police Commission report on police corruption:

“The public believes that police personnel are vulnerable and this encourages the public to offer bribes in order to avoid any inconvenience, legal action or paying heavier fines.”

The public are also reminded of the case of the “RM34 million” senior police officer mentioned in the Royal Police Commission Report, which said:

“A retired police officer alleged that corruption was rampant within PDRM. He claimed that many officers had assets several times over their known income. According to the complainant, it was common knowledge that a particular senior officer made an asset declaration amounting to RM34 million and he was surprised that no action was seen to have been taken.” (p. 278)

Up to now there has been no satisfactory explanation and accounting of this case, although it had been subsequently reported that the assets declared by the senior officer concerned was RM4 million and not RM34 million.

What is of concern about the latest report of the “RM27 million” senior cop is a picture that nothing substantive had taken place to create a culture of integrity and zero-tolerance for corruption in the police force, one of the three main police objectives recommended by the Royal Police Commission Report.

Is the “RM27 million” cop reported by the NST the first case of ACA probe of police officers with assets several times over their known income in the past two years after the Royal Police Commission Report calling for priority for campaign to wipe out corruption in the PDRM?

Although the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan made a highly-publicised statement in December last year warning policemen against living beyond their means, his credibility suffered a huge dent when nothing was done with regard to the very serious allegations of corruption made against the nation’s top cops, including Musa, in articles by Raja Petra Kamaruddin in the news portal, Malaysia Today.

Instead, Raja Petra was subjected to harassment and victimization with the eight-hour police questioning two days ago, not on what he wrote, in particular the various allegations and exposes of abuses of power and corruption involving high-profile political, police and government officials, but for comments left by visitors.

Musa and the PDRM must get their act together to demonstrate that they are fully committed to the National Integrity Plan and are prepared to set a good example of probity to restore public confidence in an incorruptible police service by welcoming an independent inquiry into all serious allegations of corruption against top cops.

Alternatively, he should invite the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity to conduct a full probe into all the allegations of corruption and abuses of power which had been made against him and other top police cops, to demonstrate that they have nothing to hide.

  1. #1 by Libra2 on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 11:29 am

    Great philosophers have said that any leader/chief must have two important qualities to lead.
    1. Serve as a strong moral example
    2. Must be selected from the best talents of the country.
    It is said a ruler who governs by virtue is like the north polar star, who remains in its place and the other stars revolve around it.

    When people in position in our country have none of the above, how can we expect orderliness and good governance.
    When the immoral winds of the leaders blow across the country the people like grass will bend with the immoral wind. Then the whole society become immoral.
    Today, from the PM to a lowly constable / office boy is corrupt. Whom do we blame?

  2. #2 by Godfather on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 12:34 pm

    Wanna bet that this goes into a black hole ? “Semuanya OK.”

  3. #3 by pwcheng on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 12:37 pm

    We know what is the disease, the cause of th disease and the cure for the disease and yet we cannot eliminate it. Anybody know the answer?

    The answer is simple. The doctor is not willing to eliminate the disease because he will have no more business.

  4. #4 by justiciary on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 1:29 pm

    This is just shame and hypocrisy to those in power.Really ‘tiu nia mah’.(Forgive me for my way of expressing anger and protest)

  5. #5 by k1980 on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 1:43 pm

    Malaysians have been duped by voting into power a sham democracy

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A571952
    …the essential aspect of democracy is that in some sense the people decide how the country is to be run, and no individual has more say in that decision than any other. So, if the systems of government make it impossible for the people to express their preference for the way the country is to be run, or if any individual has more say in the decision than any other, then democracy has been violated.

  6. #6 by smeagroo on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 1:43 pm

    Musa also has enough problems of his own. How to set up commission. Take comm can la.

  7. #7 by Jeffrey on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 1:44 pm

    To justiciary

    In line with Kit’s concept of a “Peer Moderated Blog” I would advise you not to express anger and protest by sexist remarks.

  8. #8 by i_love_malaysia on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 2:13 pm

    I agree fully with Jeff, lots of mothers got nothing to do with their children wrong doings even though they gave birth to them, unless she asked them to do wrong or due to genetics or upbringing, but without any proof or whatsoever, justiciary must not use the word “TNM” even though he is fiery angry. Why justiciary did not use the word “TNPa”?? we should refrain from using these words, else we would be just like some people who uttered nonsence in the parliament in the name of anger and protest and cannot control themselves!! anyway, I can understand the anger and frustration of justiciary.

  9. #9 by i_love_malaysia on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 2:27 pm

    The difference way between Singapore and Malaysia police when you want to report a robbery case:-

    Singapore police – Dont worry, we will look for the robbers, could you let us have the following information…How many robbers? where? what time? how they rob you? any weapon use? can you recognise their faces? etc…

    Malaysian police – I think you should go to another police station…this is a small matter..every day so many cases around this area..we already know this…dont need to reportlah!!!

  10. #10 by Jeffrey on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 2:50 pm

    Corruption is rife not only on police force but throughout public sector that looks to bureaucratic power and discretion as means to supplement income. As a point of ethic, officials don’t consider their corrupt acts as shameful because the principles of selective entitlement to certain group(s) and unfairness to the rest are institutionalized as acceptable and legal. Moreover bureaucrats look to their political bosses as examples. If they perceive their bosses are ‘anti rasuah’ in rhetoric and ‘nanti rasuah’ in action, they cannot be bothered!

    Therefore to combat corruption, the crux is that there must be political will and commitment from top political leadership to fight it. But how is top leadership to develop this commitment when the whole system of ascendancy to the top within political structure is based on money politics and where feudal loyalty is traded as an exchange for positions of power to make money from government contracts and procurements?

    To buttress political will to combat corruption, it all boils down to attitude of the relevant constituencies and voters to express anger at their elected representatives, officials and leaders for saying one thing (Anti Rasuah) and doing another and to punish them by voting them out if they persist to be corrupt.

    But here this doesn’t happen. During elections and by elections, voters give their votes in exchange for envelopes of RM notes or promises of some government contracts or construction of schools, roads or bridges (which it is the duty for the government to do any way but held back until elections or by elections).

    It appears that many voters also partake in corruption, during election time, taking small bribes/crumbs from the politicians and are quite happy to acquiesce with voting leaders tainted by allegations of corruption to be voted in or to continue having their seats.

    It seems to me that it is useless pointing a finger at the police force when it should be pointed at all sectors of the public service, and as soon as one does that, one’s finger has then to be re-directed upwards to the political bosses only to be bent to point downwards at the very people who vote and continue to vote them in.

    So that is why they say the people – or more precisely, the majority of the people constituting the voters – deserve the kind of government they get.

    One may think the solution lies in educating the masses on the evils of corruption but this is not easy when emotions triumph for the better part over logic.

    In this country, it is difficult for Rakyat to look objectively at how bad corruption is going to affect the country and future generations when it is within the nature of our multi racial, multi cultural and multi religious society, everyone looks to his own interest and by extension his own community’s or race’s interest, suspicious of and feeling “separate” all the time from the other communities, and this being the setting, are inclined to vote according to emotions based on issues of race, religion and culture raised by politicians to win their seats than objective merits…….

  11. #11 by Toyol on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 3:08 pm

    To all the lower ranked police officers…now you know why you are sitting on damaged tables and chairs and working in squallid conditions. Your superiors have siphoned off all the monies living in luxury whilst you poor people have to face the people wrath’s and frustrations. I understand your frustration too but the people you should blame are your superiors and not the public. Please serve us with sincerity. I know there are still good people out there!

  12. #12 by silhouette on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 3:26 pm

    This top officer is one lamb they are willing to sacrifice just to appease those people crying for the blood of the corrupt. That is why this story is carried by NST which is rather unusual.

  13. #13 by sheriff singh on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 3:40 pm

    The Force is rotten to the core. Almost everyone is involved in some thing or another. They would all have to investigate each other. Would they do that? And should they succeed, they would be bringing the whole house tumbling down.

    Maybe that would be a good thing. We can then start afresh. Needs a major overhaul after 50 years mileage. Warranties expired already.

  14. #14 by madmix on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 3:49 pm

    Raja Petra commented that the conference of rulers have rejected IGP Musa’s extension of contract. Is this confirmed?

  15. #15 by pwcheng on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 4:43 pm

    Jeffrey Says:
    July 27th, 2007 at 14: 50.37
    “Therefore to combat corruption, the crux is that there must be political will and commitment from top political leadership to fight it”.

    As I had explained earlier, the reason is simple. If they were to do it they will be out of business. Corruption is already a big time business for them and they talk in term of billions. So how can you expect the top political leadership to kill the goose that lay the golden eggs.

    They already have loose their morals and the moment you criticize them they have the police to back them and that is why they have to back the police for them to do their business also.
    So by now you should know why the AG is taking so long to study the IPCMC? Birds of the same feathers flock together.

  16. #16 by smeagroo on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 4:47 pm

    police investigate aca, aca investigate police. See who can work faster. The slower one will die first.

    SO hurry up guys, may the best man wins!

  17. #17 by unsatisfied on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 5:16 pm

    aiya Abdullah already scared to dead, many of his wrong doings were revealed by Raja Petra, and in the latest article RPK promised to destroy him. So this news by NST is just to divert the attention away from Pak Lah, to show that his government is still serious in fighting corruption. Ptui!!! just another sandiwara. Don’t forget about IPCMC, that Pak Helah already buat tak tau. This kind of news don’t convince me BN/Pak Lah is good for my vote.

  18. #18 by unsatisfied on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 5:18 pm

    police investigate aca, aca investigate police. See who can work faster. The slower one will die first.

    SO hurry up guys, may the best man wins!
    ………………………………………………………………………………
    This is all sandiwara la. Wait till they really put those corrupt MPs and policemen in jail first, only i will believe the news.

  19. #19 by Zeebra on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 7:15 pm

    They want to clean corruption, but ACA still under them…..how to eradicate????? sure snadiwara lah….

  20. #20 by johnnypok on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 8:41 pm

    Blame it all on the voters. This is a side-effect of voting in a super-powerful government. The check-and-balance system is under-represented, and rely solely on representatives from DAP to voice out in parliament. It is a very tiring effort, and an uphill task, for the opposition representatives to ever succeed in over-turning any government decision.
    It is indeed heartening to read about the latest events and happenings involving an investigation by ACA on a certain senior police officer….a ray of hope for the future.

  21. #21 by Educator on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 8:57 pm

    Police investigate or ACA investigate. All reports end up gathering in AG’s “black hole”. Same difference!

  22. #22 by smeagroo on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 9:03 pm

    BUt why only investigate the police? How abt our ministers who are living beyond their means? All got big houses and fancy cars. How come they are not required to declare their assets though it was once stated mandatory? Correct me if I am wrong on this.

  23. #23 by undergrad2 on Friday, 27 July 2007 - 9:55 pm

    Corruption has for many years now been allowed to gnaw at the very fabric of our society leaving it ready to fall apart at the seams. No amount of weaving and re-weaving is going to help it stay together. To point at the PDRM as being among the world’s most corrupt police force would be to miss the wood from the trees.

    The present political leadership has been emboldened by Mahathir, the most corrupt among the Prime Ministers in terms of wealth amassed for his family. He used corruption as a weapon to silence his adversaries and to promote his private agenda and those of UMNO. He has refined corruption as a management tool in a way no other PM has done – and for which he should be invited by Harvard University to address issues on management in third world countries.

    Is it surprising that politicians and civil servants chose to walk down the same trail he blazes? Mahathir is after all a trail blazer in more ways than one. The head of the country’s executive has legitimized corruption in a way no other head has done.

    This latest mountain of wealth, the ill-gotten gains of a rogue police officer, comes as no surprise. The problem that it represents natinally is after all only the ‘tip of the iceberg’. We would be naïve to think that it is but an isolated incident of just one rouge officer.

    The unspoken code of honor among thieves is that the spoils office must be shared and shared equally. I am quite sure that this one has resisted enough calls to share the spoils of office and has now been exposed to the wrath of all who would like to see their brand of justice done – and their way of ‘doing business’ preserved.

    Nothing like a donation of say half of RM 27 millions to UMNO would not solve – especially when the general elections are around the corner!

  24. #24 by digard on Saturday, 28 July 2007 - 1:01 am

    Nothing new here, absolutely nothing at all.
    We had Eric and that deputy minister in jail, followed by an all-out victory. Later, everything was dismissed.
    Now, a new so-called case; maybe even softened up by promises to that ‘senior officer’; a showcase with NST instructed to chip in.
    BN will once again promise to combat corruption all out, and – as a start – distribute envelopes laden with money to voters. Which will convince these voters that BN is serious at its attempt, and therefore vote for BN.
    After the landslide victory, one way or another, the Attorney General will fulfill the promise given and find no evidence against that senior police officer.
    And over 4 years, people will wonder why corruption has increased during the last 4 years. Rinse and repeat.

  25. #25 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Saturday, 28 July 2007 - 9:39 am

    Unless there is a change of the BN government I see no hope for the establishment of the Royal Police Commission. Even in the US, the previously Republican-controlled Congress kept stonewalling on the 9/11 Commission recommendations until the recent change where Democrats took control of Congress.

    In a nutshell, BN has to go to bring about a sea change that would sweep off all that’s rotten in the PDRM, ACA and other agencies of the Administration.

    Vote for DAP/PKR.

  26. #26 by mwt on Saturday, 28 July 2007 - 1:57 pm

    BIG Fishes are difficult to Catch – the ACA nets used are FULL of HOLES
    So the Big Fishes are allowed to escape through the nets. The IGP & former ACA boss are now clean as a slate according to the AG.
    IGP MUSA HASSAN – No Wrong Corrupt doings, Investigations Closed; ACA Former Chief Zulkifli Mat Noor Free Of Criminal Misconduct, Abuse Of Power, Says AG. And the Internet Lies are ALL half Truths and Assumptions
    More details at:
    http://powerpresent.blogspot.com/2007/07/igp-musa-no-corrupt-doings.html

  27. #27 by rfbu on Saturday, 28 July 2007 - 3:32 pm

    the conservative in me would say that it’s either a smear campaign against a particular policeman or the cynic is me saying it’s too big an embarassment to the G and PDRM to expose everything.

    but i have a bad feeling it’s the latter. it probably too prevalent for the G and PDRM to be brutally honest with the public.

    i have heard numerous anecdotes, like they say, there’s no smoke without fire. looks like the cops are just being practical, who doesn’t want ‘financial freedom’? maybe the meagre pension isn’t too satisfying.

    back to this RM27million policeman and the uncaught ones… it’s really that bad, isn’t it? everybody wants a finger in the pie, the more pies the better.

    gemilang, terbilang, cemerlang macam ini ka??? sigh

    inspite of all the rhetoric from the G and IGP, it makes me sad that chances are there won’t be any change.

    que sae ra sae ra, whatever will be will be

  28. #28 by sk88 on Saturday, 28 July 2007 - 4:03 pm

    Public service or private sector, corruption is accepted by most Malaysians. It is Malaysian way of life. It is naive to expect the police to be clean given their enormous power to do what they want without being accountable. The problem was propagated by us Malaysians and we have to pay dearly. We pay for MC’s, driving licences and even pay to escape theft and murder.

  29. #29 by undergrad2 on Saturday, 28 July 2007 - 9:15 pm

    Hornbill, I will vote for anything that moves rather vote for more of the same – but will the 4.0 million voters (not including ‘phantom voters) behind me do the same??

  30. #30 by Plaintruth on Sunday, 29 July 2007 - 2:34 am

    Here is an example I overhead in the Kopitiam last month:

    A big company bus had killed a pedestrian and the bus was towed/driven to the police station. The comany quickly went to the polic station and give some Kopiduit to the officer in charge. They proceed to change out the botak (worn out) front and back tyres to a good tread tyre. In case that would give the other party more ammunition for the fault of the bus company.

    At that time the chief police happened to be around the bus and questioned what was going on. The officer in charge then turned to the company man and said something to his ears.

    The company man walked over to the police chielf with a thick bundle of ringgit in his hand pretented to shake hand with the police chief. The polce chief shake the hand and walked away.

    The story was told by one of the mechanic that changed the tyres.

    Could this be real or the Kopi-tiam overheard just a make-up story for amusement?

  31. #31 by undergrad2 on Sunday, 29 July 2007 - 8:46 am

    Where do you think the term ‘ grease the palm’ come from if not from the mechanic with dirty hands holding bundles of notes?

  32. #32 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 29 July 2007 - 12:31 pm

    Where do you think the term ‘ grease the palm’ come from if not from the mechanic with dirty hands holding bundles of notes?’ – Undergrad2

    Good one except mechanic is seldom associated with having bundles of notes. :)

    his expression from the 16th century is derived from its corollary counterpart “an itchy palm craves money”.

    Now grease helps things to work more smoothly. Metaphorically speaking this also applies when applied to the hand – then they didn’t have the ingenuity and multi-application of KY – which, if properly greased or oiled, will ensure that it can make things work without undue difficulties, problems or delays.

  33. #33 by undergrad2 on Sunday, 29 July 2007 - 8:08 pm

    KY??? Oh, oh..You don’t want to go there, Jeffrey.

  34. #34 by undergrad2 on Sunday, 29 July 2007 - 8:11 pm

    Tubes of Kay-Y in your pockets are regarded in some Muslim countries as the equivalent of WMD (weapons of moral destruction).

  35. #35 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Monday, 30 July 2007 - 9:53 am

    undergrad2 Says:

    July 28th, 2007 at 21: 15.59

    Hornbill, I will vote for anything that moves rather vote for more of the same – but will the 4.0 million voters (not including ‘phantom voters) behind me do the same??

    All Malaysians of a sound mind (and I mean that seriously!) should consider and contribute to the movement for a sea change. Malaysia is trapped in a cesspool of filth and foulness for so many decades. Do we have any other choice but to move our butts to provoke the millions of others to change for God’s sake, for the sake of our children and our children’s children?

    For God’s sake and your own sake and your children’s sake, Undergrad2, do your bit (which I ‘know’ is more than 2 sen’s worth) to bring about some change at yr end, however infinitesimal! Then if the rest of the country will roll along with us, we can steamroll the useless and decrepit behemoth with no heart that is Barisan Nasional.

    Vote for DAP/PKR.

    Ok, do I sound like an agent provocateur?

  36. #36 by undergrad2 on Monday, 30 July 2007 - 1:34 pm

    You are an agent provoked.

    Don’t worry I will exercise my right as a Malaysian citizen and cast my vote at the Malaysian Consulate in NYC come general elections. Do you know that you do not have to be a U.S. citizen to cast your vote in the coming presidential elections? I am voting for Sen. Obama because I don’t trust Hilary Clinton. She has changed her positions so many times that even Clinton couldn’t keep up with her!

  37. #37 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Monday, 30 July 2007 - 6:02 pm

    Hey, Undergrad2. That’s news.

    I know the Iranians, Afghans and Palestinians would welcome the oopportunity to vote in the US elections too. The Iranians would vote for Ahmadinejad for President of the USA. The Afghans are divided between Taliban Mullah Omar and Karzai, more likely Omar. The Palestinians are divided between Abbas and that Ismail fella, more likely Ismail. Anyone of them – Ahmadinejad, Omar or Ismail -as President of the USA – there will be no more 9/11s. Guaranteed.

    Seriously, you must have at least a PR to be eligible to vote, right? I think Obama is the most promising to bring about meaningful change. The rest of the field is more of the same old stuff….same old establishment breed, full of pleasant rhetoric…what else is new?

  38. #38 by undergrad2 on Monday, 30 July 2007 - 11:35 pm

    Hornbill, voting here in the U.S. does not involve the kind of screening you see in Malaysia. Society here is open, democratic and processes are transparent. You do not carry papers to prove you’re a citizen. There is no national ID as there is in Malaysia – even post 9/11. What we have is our D/L or driver’s license which serves as ID and that is only at state level as opposed to federal. No federal ID today – nor will there ever be.

    They don’ t like the idea of a database on them for fear that it will be abused.

    The only other time when you have your picture taken is when you drive under the influence (DUI). In the event you’re caught driving under the influence, they take a mug shot of you and then have you finger printed. Otherwise there is nothing on you. So all you have to do is armed with a state D/L you can go and have yourself registered as a voter. Unless they have reason or reasons to believe that you’re not, you can then vote for your favorite candidate.

    Like I say earlier, my candidate for the presidential election is Sen. Obama but not Hilary. And like I said earlier, it is because she changes her positions so often she puts Kamasutra to shame!

  39. #39 by undergrad2 on Monday, 30 July 2007 - 11:39 pm

    Others vote for Sen. Obama because of the ‘Obama girl’ you see on youtube.

  40. #40 by Kulim2London on Tuesday, 31 July 2007 - 1:08 pm

    Malaysia may have had changed the got highest buildings and the longest bridges, but the mindset of the civil servants and police has not changed.I notice this every time I return for holidays.

    I have seen this TIDAK APA in all departments, from NRID to Passport/immigration to calling police over a fight, I saw take place between two silly people.

    Many years ago,I once brought a toaster,and declared it at customs, I was offered blatently to pay RM50 for it without receipt or pay RM100 with a receipt.Where else in the world has one seen such two systems running parallel so openly?When I demanded that I see a senior officer, I was told he would say the SAME thing!

    So I took one RM100.00 note and marked it with a pen, and asked him to take that and give me a receipt, at which the little urchin said to me, “okay lah okay lah …no officer today …boleh pergi”

    If there is one thing that I have never seen change in the country is this CORRUPTION- it breeds because the whole process is corrupted.Cancer does not survive on its own-in pockets- it survives because the whole body is accomodating it to spread.

    A very sorry state of affairs,there is no sincere conviction on part of the leaders running the system to HONESTLY do something about it.The whole system is is bad, one cannot run two systems and expect things to be good-there are two parts in the malaysian society- one part is contented to live reaping another off-while another part is happy to make the money -but willing to pay to be left alone – in such CORRUPTION would come naturally.

  41. #41 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Wednesday, 1 August 2007 - 10:08 am

    Questions,questions, questions. Corruption, corruption, corruption.

    http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/guests.php?itemid=6911

  42. #42 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Wednesday, 1 August 2007 - 10:20 am

    Raja Nazrin: Those With Shady Past Shouldn’t Be Leaders

    http://www.bernama.com.my/

    KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Bernama) — Those with a chequered past or clear evidence of questionable morality should be prevented from taking office, Perak Raja Muda Raja Nazrin Shah said Tuesday.

    That should include not only Politicians but also Sr Civil servnats.

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