Hishammuddin must present his case why he backs Musa Hassan’s extension

By Lim Kit Siang

Malaysian Insider reported yesterday 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 Tan Sri Musa Hassan as the country’s Inspector-General of Police in September.

The commission comprise members who are top current and retired civil servants and the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

Hishammuddin should present his case to the Malaysian public why he and the Police Force Commission backs Musa’s extension for IGP, when Musa has such a dismal record as the nation’s top police officer when judged by the Police Royal Commission Report which submitted 125 recommendations to create an efficient, incorruptible, professional world-class police service with the three core functions to keep crime low, eradicate corruption and uphold human rights.

One hundred reasons could be advanced why Musa should not have his extended term of IGP renewed in September as he had failed in all the three core functions spelt out by the Dzaiddin Police Royal Commission to keep crime low, eradicate corruption and uphold human rights.

Can Hishammuddin’s reasons to support Musa’s extension as IGP so strong and incontrovertible that they can withstand the most rigorous public scrutiny or are they so weak and flimsy that Hishammuddin dare not make them public?

Bernama today reported Musa as saying that the police will give priority to stamping out street crimes, in line with the government commitment to reduce crime and corruption. He said drastic measures would be taken to address the problem to ensure public safety and security.

Why did Musa only wake up from what should be the No. 1 responsibility of the police when he is lobbying for another term of IGP?

Musa’s belated awakening of the urgent need to check and roll back the galloping crime in the country, particularly street crimes, is too little and too late – at least four years too late after the Dzaiddin Police Royal Commission Report in May 2005!

Let me refresh Hishammuddin and Musa to the Dzaiddin Royal Police Commission report in May 2005 which had expressed alarm at the “high incidence of crime”, when it noted:

“The incidence of crime increased dramatically in the last few years, from 121,176 cases in 1997 to 156,465 cases in 2004, an increase of 29 per cent. The increase seriously dented Malaysia’s reputation as a safe country. Malaysians in general, the business sector and foreign investors grew increasingly concerned with the situation. The fear was that, if the trend continues, there would be major social and economic consequences for Malaysia. A survey of 575 respondents from the public carried out by the Commission clearly demonstrates the extremely widespread concern among all ethnic groups and foreign residents. Between 82.2 per cent and 90 per cent of the respondents, or 8 to 9 persons in every 10, were concerned with the occurrence of crime.”

The Dzaiddin Police Royal Commission recommended an immediate action plan and target to reduce the incidence of crime by a minimum of 20 per cent within 12 months of the Report’s acceptance and implementation.

Instead of a reduction of a minimum of 20 per cent, i.e. bringing the incidence of crime to 125,172 cases in 12 months from 154,465 cases, crime galloped and shot past the 200,000 barrier to reach 209,582 cases in 2007 and 211,645 cases in 2008.

This means that in the four years from 154,465 cases in 2004, the crime index soared by 39% to reach 211,645 cases in 2008 – totally contrary to Dzaiddin Police Royal Commission target proposing a 20% reduction of the crime index within 12 months!

Is this is not a failure, what is it? If IGP Musa is not to be held responsible for this failure, who else?

In September 2006, I had congratulated Musa for his appointment as IGP but he has failed the nation and people.

Musa is lobbying for another term of as IGP. Does he know or understand the concept of democratic policing, as enunciated in the Commonwealth Human Rights Report on Police Accountability in 2005 and the United Nations International Police Task Force Report 1996? But this is another long story and another sorry tale by Musa as IGP.

Is the Royal Malaysian Police so short of quality officers that there is not a single serving top police officer who could be entrusted with the baton of IGP?

Lim Kit Siang

民主行动党国会领袖兼怡保东区国会议员林吉祥于2009年7月14日（星期二）在八打灵再也所发表的声明（3）：

希山慕丁必须提出他的理由为何他与警察部队委员会支持延长慕沙哈山的任期

《马来西亚局内人》昨天报导指出，获宪法赋予权力负责警队内部人事任免工作的警察部队委员会支持任期将于今年9月届满的全国总警长慕沙哈山再度延长任期。

这个委员会的成员涵盖现任及退休的高级公务员和内政部长希山慕丁。

希山慕丁必须提出他的理由为何他与警察部队委员会支持延长慕沙哈山的任期，特别是当慕沙哈山作为全国最高警队领导人，却在警方皇家委员会报告中获得如此令人失望的评价，以致该报告书必须提出125项建议，以期打造一支高效率、廉洁、专业，以及秉持维持低罪案、铲除贪腐及维护人权这3大核心职责的世界级警队服务。

有100个理由足以证明为何慕沙哈山不应在9月获得延长任期，因为他在警方皇家委员会所阐明的“维持低罪案、铲除贪腐及维护人权”这3大警队核心职责方面，皆宣告失败。

希山慕丁支持延长慕沙哈山任期的理由是否真的如此强而有力及毫无争议，并足以通过最严格的公众监督，又或者是他的理由根本毫无说服力及站不住脚，以致希山慕丁完全不敢公开解释为何他支持延长慕沙哈山的任期？

《马新社》今天报导慕沙哈山的谈话指出，警方将优先铲除街头犯罪，以配合政府减低犯罪及贪腐的承诺。

他表示，警方将采取严厉的措施解决这项问题，以确保公共安全及治安。

为什么慕沙哈山只有在试图游说以获得再度延长其全国总警长任期的时候，才醒觉到这项原本就是警方最首要的责任？

慕沙哈山对于迫切需要制止及降低国内日益飙升的犯罪，特别是街头罪案的迟来醒觉根本就不足够，也是太迟——比在2005年5月公布的警方皇家委员会报告至少迟了4年！

让我再次提醒希山慕丁和慕沙哈山有关2005年5月公布的警方皇家委员会报告中对“高犯罪率”所表达的警觉。该报告指出：

“犯罪率在过去数年里急剧飙升，从1997年的12万1176宗暴涨至2004年的15万6465宗，涨幅高达29%。犯罪率剧增严重影响了马来西亚的作为一个安全国家的声誉。在一般的情况下，马来西亚的商业领域及外国投资者越来越关注治安情况。人们担心的是，若这项趋势持续下去，将对马来西亚带来重大的社会及经济后果。在一项警方皇家委员会展开的调查中，575名受访的公众人士清楚表示，他们极为关注治安情况。约82.2%至90%的受访者，或10人中有8至9人，关注罪案的发生。”

 

警方皇家委员会建议立即采取一项行动方案，目标是在该报告书获采纳及实行后的12个月里降低犯罪率至少20%。 

但是，我国的犯罪率不但没有降低至少20%，即在12个月内从原本15万4465宗罪案降低至12万5172宗，反而飙升突破20万大关，分别在2007年及2008年暴涨至20万9582宗及21万1645宗。

这意味着在短短4年里，我国犯罪率从2004年的15万4465宗，上涨39%，达2008年的21万1645宗——完全违背了警方皇家委员会建议在12个月内至少降低20%犯罪率的目标！

若这不是一个失败，那是什么？若全国总警长慕沙哈山无需对这个失败负起全责，那么谁应该负责？

在2006年9月，我已祝贺慕沙哈山受委担任全国总警长，但是他却辜负了国家和人民。

慕沙哈山现在又试图游说以获得再度延长其全国总警长的任期。究竟他是否知道或了解2005年“共和联邦人权报告的警方责任”以及1996年“联合国国际警方工作队报告”所阐明的“民主办理警务”概念？不过，这是另一个篇章，以及慕沙哈山作为拙劣全国总警察的另一个故事。

马来西亚皇家警察是否如此缺乏有素质的警官，以致没有任何一名现任警方高官可受委承接全国总警长的警棒？

林吉祥