Outgoing IGP trains his guns on Home Minister

KUALA LUMPUR: The Police Force Commission (SPP) should be led by a professional as its chairman and not politicians, said outgoing Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador.

In a press conference in his last days in office, Abdul Hamid said, politicians tend to ride on the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) for political gain and the matter needs to be stopped.

In fact, he admitted that he was not happy with the intervention of Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, resulting in “bad blood” between him and the minister.

"This (interference) should be avoided. A minister cannot interfere in regulating the PDRM.

"He (Hamzah) is only given the power to set the policy ... what is the direction of the team, is this team lame or is this team having problems.

"That is his role and responsibility (as SPP chairman), instead of deciding who is the CPO (State Police Chief) who are the directors… his role as SPP chairman has its limits," he said in a press conference in Bukit Aman here, on Friday.

Abdul Hamid said the actions of politicians who were seen trying to control the SPP and PDRM would complicate the task of the IGP in regulating the police force.

Abdul Hamid revealed about the minister’s meddling a few hours after Hamzah admitted that the audio recording of a conversation about promotions and changes in positions in the PDRM that had gone viral over the past few days was indeed his voice.

He explained that he had twice raised the issue of Hamzah's meddling in the affairs of the police force to Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and also voiced the same to Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali.

He said he was not 'power crazy’ in wanting to decide everything, but as the chief of the police force, he admitted that he was more knowledgeable about PDRM affairs.

"I mingled with my team every day. The minister has many departments and agencies under his ministry,” he added.

Abdul Hamid also suggested that SPP be led by a disinterested party such as a former judge or chief justice in future.

He said the proposal had been voiced by former director-general of the National Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC) Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed, during the Pakatan Harapan administration.