KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — De facto law minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan has failed in his duty for brushing aside the need for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into claims of corruption within the police force, said Lim Guan Eng.
In a statement today, the DAP secretary-general lambasted Takiyuddin’s reluctance to purge corruption within the police force and said this is indicative of Perikatan Nasional’s administration lack of focus to combat corruption.
“How can this scandal be dealt with internally by the Police Force Commission, when it is chaired by the home minister and members where such criminal acts allegedly occurred?
“This is no longer an internal matter when a former IGP can be susceptible to the extent to be on the payroll of crime syndicates,” Lim said.
“Only an RCI can clean up the police force from such corrupt elements and salvage the reputation of a majority of police officers and personnel not involved in such nefarious activities,” he added.
Lim said should steps not to be taken, it would be akin to the Malay saying of harapkan pagar, pagar makan padi which roughly means that those who are entrusted to protect end up harming those who they were meant to serve.
This follows after IGP Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador’s stunning revelation about an alleged cartel within the police which is seeking to topple him.
Last Sunday, Takiyuddin dismissed the call for an RCI to look into the claims, on the grounds that it is an internal police matter under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs and can be dealt with by the Police Force Commission.
Abdul Hamid also said yesterday that the matter would be handled internally, denying to expose the culprits as he claimed that things are under control.
Lim added today that Malaysians require an open public inquiry to ensure accountability and transparency, not an internal probe which may lead nowhere.
“Any failure to establish a RCI to root out this grave problem afflicting the police force, will only lead to public distrust and loss of confidence in the professionalism, integrity, independence and capability of the police force to combat crime.
“This will be the ultimate test of the PN government's commitment to fighting corruption and crime,’’ he said.
