KUALA LUMPUR – Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has admitted that it is him in a recently leaked audio recording of a discussion on Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador’s successor.
“That is my voice. I didn’t do anything illegal. What did I do wrong?
“The wrongdoing was recording my conversation with someone. That is illegal. What I did was not wrong,” he told a press conference today.
He added that the clip is not new, and the discussion took place about a year ago.
Hamzah said it is his duty under the federal constitution, as Police Force Commission chairman, to oversee the appointment of high-ranking officers, including the IGP.
“What I did was not wrong. I asked the IGP to submit a few names to Tuanku (Yang di-Pertuan Agong). For the Royal Malaysia Police.”
Asked if he will lodge a police report on the incident, he said there is no need to, as he did nothing wrong.
Pressed by the media on the matter, seeing that he said the recording was done illegally, Hamzah replied: “I am the home minister, okay? There are other ways I can use.
“Who is the person who recorded the conversation? That’s the question. How I’ll do it, that’s another matter.”
The wrongdoing was recording my conversation with someone. That is illegal. What I did was not wrong.
The Bersatu secretary-general also launched barbs, mocking rivals Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and opposition chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over a leaked recording allegedly involving the two after the last Umno general assembly.
“If someone taped our conversation and we didn’t do anything wrong, just admit it. His friend was his mentor. Why won’t you admit?
“If you’re right, admit it. I didn’t do anything wrong, so I admitted it. But if we don’t want to admit, maybe, what we did was wrong.”
On April 13, Hamzah reportedly denied having undue influence over the transfer of senior police officers.
Bernama had quoted him as saying that any shuffling of top cop posts is made in unison with the Police Force Commission, which he chairs.
“I have never interfered in police affairs. I apologise if there are those who said that I have interfered.
“I am the chairman of the commission, if there is a decision that has been issued, it is the decision of (the whole) commission. Sometimes, though, there are people who (misconstrue) a decision the other way around.
“What is most important is that the decision should be seen as a decision by the commission. It is true that I am the home minister but I am also the chairman of the commission.
“Hence, it is the decision of the majority, and I always follow the decision of the majority. Instead of me making my own decision, I think it is good for all parties to understand that the commission is (beyond reproach) because its members are appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he said.
Hamzah said that it was true that the letter of appointment of the inspector-general of police (IGP) was also from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
He added that, at the same time, the commission should be placed above the IGP because all decisions relating to the police force are made by the commission as opposed to just one individual. – The Vibes, April 30, 2021
