Let Musa tell his story
By Free Malaysia Today
Now that Musa Hassan has exchanged his uniform for civilian clothes, he is no longer beholden to his political masters. But his job is far from over. He has one last task to complete. Musa dropped a bombshell when he spilled the beans about third-party interference in the work of the police force. So his duty to the nation is clear-cut: tell the people what transpired at Bukit Aman when he was the Inspector-General of Police. He levelled serious allegations against his former employers and he must stand in the court of public opinion or law to give his evidence. He has created a storm which will not subside until the truth is out.
However, he will not have an easy time. It is very likely he will be stopped in his track. His ex-bosses are not above resorting to dirty tricks to silence him if they have to. He may face charges of wrongdoings and may end up behind bars – and the “secrets”, if any, will never be known. But one would like to believe that Musa will not buckle under pressure. He fought many criminals when he was the top gun; he must display the same level of courage to meet his new opponents who are more powerful, devious, dangerous.
A persistent question that cropped up when Musa stirred up the hornest’ nest is: why now? The answer is simple: before, he must obey the government; now, he obeys his conscience. While in uniform, his sole duty was to carry out orders. He might not like what he was told to do, but his was not to argue. He might be armed but the government called the shots. Under his tenure as the top law enforcer, many unpleasant events took place for which he must take the blame. But he could not be acting on his own. Every decision must have the imprimatur of his political paymasters. Musa was a mere cog in the gigantic bureaucratic wheel.
The government may be a potent force but the “most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire”. Musa is on fire now. He has hurled a thunderbolt at his former employers in the first shot of what could be a long, bruising fight. The odds are staked against him. Two powerful cousins stand in his way. Two men who could be his undoing. Two politicians who can open or close files at will. Very likely the duo will move fast to forestall the impending attacks. Especially if the former “servant” was privy to some horrible secrets. Shorn of protection, the civilian Musa can expect concentrated fire with little hope of rescue. The only insurance against unfair treatment will be the eternal vigilance of the people.
Was Musa being “ungrateful”? The implication is he should keep his trap shut because the government had been so kind to him. Every month he got his morsel of food on his table, with perks thrown in as befitted his rank. He was well taken care of. He should thank his lucky star that he got the top job. He just had to stay obedient and carry out orders on the double. No questions asked. Down the years, Musa might have exhibited some streaks of independence and might have pushed for some reforms, with little success.
