(Petaling Jaya, Friday): The resignation of Tan Sri Rahim Noor as Inspector-General of Police to "assume full responsibiility" for the injuries suffered by former Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, while under police custody is such a rare example of a top officer assuming departmental responsibility in Malaysia that it should be greeted with joy, elation and even celebration - as heralding a new era of accountability, transparency and good governance in Malaysia.
But the public reaction in the country to Rahim Noor’s resignation has been rather subdued, cautious, cynical and even of downright dissatisfaction.
This is a reflection of how low public confidence and credibility in the institutions of government in Malaysis has sunk in public esteem in recent times.
Another reason is because Malaysians do not know whether Rahim Noor’s resignation marks a new beginning of public accountability and transparency of the government or whether it is another move to continue to deny these principles of good governance of accountability and transparency by the Malaysian government.
Rahim Noor’s resignation has left many questions unanswered. When he meets the press about his resignation, which he said would be "in a day or two", Rahim Noor should provide these answers, including:
1. Why didn’t he assume responsibility for the injuries suffered
by Anwar while in police custody three-and-a-half months ago when he first
discovered about such lawlessness perpetrated against the former
Deputy Prime Minister in the very inner sanctum of the police high command?
2. When did he, as Inspector-General of Police, first learnt
of Anwar’s ‘black eye’ and other injuries while under police custody.
Anwar alleged that he was assaulted until he lost consciousness on the
first night of his arrest on Sept. 20.
3. Why didn’t he, as Inspector-General of Police who under Section
4(1) of the Police Act 1967 is responsible for the command and control
of the Royal Malaysian Police, direct a full inquiry on his first discovery
of Anwar’s "black eye" and other injuries while under police custody?
4. When was Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, in his capacity
as Home Minister, first informed of Anwar’s "black eye" and other injuries.
Was it as a result of police briefing that Mahathir made the outrageous
remarks that Anwar’s injuries might have been self-inflicted to "gain political
mileage"?
Although Rahim Noor said his resignation as IGP is to "assume full
responsibility" for Anwar’s injuries while under police custody, it is
still not clear whether his resignation is to "assume" or "avoid" police
responsibility for Anwar’s injuries as the identity of the police persons
or persons who committed such lawlessness and crimes in Bukit Aman has
still to be identified.
If Rahim Noor wants to "assume full responsibility" for Anwar’s injuries
while under police custody, which has tarnished the national and international
image of the Malaysian Royal Police in a way that has never happened before,
the last thing he should do is to identify the culprits who perpetrated
the assaults on Anwar and then submit his resignation.
In his statement on 5th January, 1999, the Attorney-General, Tan Sri
Mohtar Abdullah said he had directed the Special Police Investigation Team
to complete its investigations by recording statements from nine senior
police officers, namely:
(i) Tan Sri Rahim Noor, Inspector-General of Police;
(ii) Tan Sri Norian bin Mai, Deputy Inspector-General of Police;
(iii) Dato’ Mohd. Ghazali @ Fauzi bin Yacub, Director of Internal
Security and Public Order;
(iv) Dato’ Mohd. Jamil bin Johari, Director of Management, Bukit
Aman;
(v) Datuk’ Yaacob bin Mohd. Amin, Director of the Criminal Investigation
Department, Bukit Aman;
(vi) Dato’ Mohd. Yusof bin Abdul Rahman, Director of the Special
Branch, Bukit Aman;
(vii) Dato’ Kamaruddin bin Ali, Chief Police Officer, Kuala Lumpur.
(viii) Dato’ Ramli bin Yusoff, Deputy Director of the Criminal
Investigations Department, Bukit Aman; and
(ix) Dato’ Meor Chek Hussein bin Mahayuddin, Commander of Police
Special Force, Bukit Aman.
Rahim Noor and the other eight members of the Police High Command should
personally state publicly whether they have any involvement, direct or
indirect, with Anwar’s "black eye" and other injuries while under police
custody as they have been named by the Attorney-General in such a manner
as to imply they could be criminally involved.
What is now at stake is not just the truth about Anwar’s "black eye" and other injuries while under police custody, but the very image, integrity and professionalism of the Police High Command and the entire police force.
In the past, the Police High Command had always blamed a few "black sheep" in the forces for tarnishing the image of the police. Now the question is whether there are several "black sheep" in the Police High Command who had tarnished the image of the police rank-and-file.
(8/1/99)