SHAH ALAM – Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador has given his assurance that allegations of a cartel within the police force will be addressed without having to lodge a report with the Police Force Commission (SPP).
“I will convey this matter to Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin. There is no need (for a report), but it is up to the Minister whether the matter is to be raised to the SPP or not. Some have asked for a Royal Commission of Inquiry. I would like to stress that it is under control,” he said at a press conference at the Selangor police contingent headquarters here today.
Hamid said that he publicly apologised to Hamzah for not informing him of the matter, as he thought it was an internal issue that could be addressed.
“I apologise to the Minister. He does not know as I consider this is an internal matter – and as the IGP, I am responsible for sharing this story with the public,” he said.
Explaining the cartel activities within the police force, he said that he wanted to stop the culture of threatening the public who wanted to come forward to provide information, and a culture of corruption among police personnel.
“I don’t want this blue uniform used to threaten people. In the United States, it is called the Blue Code of Silence – which means that if fellow police officers commit an offence, sweep it under the carpet, and don’t let it be known or we will lose our ‘fangs’ (power). I don’t want that at all,” he said.
“To those who criticise my actions in revealing this matter, I ask them to be aware and reflect on themselves – especially to those who have retired who still wanted to use their former high-ranking positions and power to ask favours from my officers.
“I want to tell this group that the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is not mine, but it belongs to the country – and as the IGP, I must convince the government that I will lead the PDRM in the right direction. I will correct this, and I ask my officers to stop this bad culture,” he said.
He said that he had also given his assurance to Hamzah that he would bring up the matter during discussions with the minister soon and was confident that he could handle the activities carried out by these irresponsible officers.
Hamzah had earlier asked Hamid to report to the SPP about allegations of a cartel within the police force and a group of younger police officers trying to topple him.
Regarding the statement issued by the North Korean Embassy Charge d’Affaires Kim Yu Song yesterday, Hamid said PDRM are always ready to face any possibility of threats made against the country.
“When people are angry, they spouted these words. If he is still here maybe we will take action – but as he has already left, we just let him off,” said the IGP.
He said this when asked to comment on Kim’s statement that Malaysia had to bear the consequences of its action by prosecuting North Korean people.
“We receive all kinds of threats but on the security side we are vigilant for various possibilities and our history clearly demonstrates it,” he said at a press conference at the Selangor police contingent headquarters here today.
Yesterday, all North Korean diplomatic staff and their dependents in Malaysia left for home following Pyongyang’s decision last Friday to sever ties with Kuala Lumpur.
Last Friday, Pyongyang announced that it was severing diplomatic relations with Malaysia after a Malaysian court earlier this month ruled that a North Korean businessman could be extradited to the United States to face money laundering charges.
On the same day, Wisma Putra in a statement said it deeply regretted North Korea’s decision and that in turn, Malaysia will close its Pyongyang embassy, the operations of which were suspended in 2017.
Malaysia and North Korea established ties way back in 1973. The relations saw notable achievements on the diplomatic and trade fronts up to 2017, when Kim Jong-nam – the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – was assassinated in Malaysia. – Bernama, March 22, 2021
