Crime: 'Media can't handle truth. Not the government.'
UPDATED VERSION. A Parliament-sponsored public hearing was made private and behind close-door. Is it the media who can't handle truth?
The media were barred from covering the public hearing on crime held by the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance in Petaling Jaya last night, Malaysiakini reported.
When the hearing kicked off at 8.30pm with about 200 participants in attendance, MP Loh Seng Kok (BN/MCA - Kelana Jaya) went up the podium to request all journalists to leave the hall.
He said that the inquiry was a closed-door affair. Notices announcing that the media were barred from the public hearing were also posted at the entrance of the hall. No reasons were given.
According to Oriental Daily News, Caucus chairman Nazri Abdul Aziz, who is the de facto law minister, had earlier in the day sent a fax memo to media organisations regarding the closed-door hearing, requesting them not to cover the event.
"The meeting has to be closed-door so that some parties will not be uncomfortable due to media reports," Nazri told the audience when the hearing commenced last night. He didn't elaborate.
The ban on media also affects a public hearing slated to be held in Penang this Sunday.
The first hearing was held in Johor last Sunday where the media was allowed to cover. It was reported to be a heated meeting with some 600 frustrated Johor residents lambasted the government for not taking any serious actions in combatting the rising crime levels there.
The Star, which makes no complaint of the media lockout, reported that last night's public hearing in PJ was extended by another one and a half hours due to overwhelming response from the people here.
About 400 residents attended the closed door hearing at Dewan Sivik here last night, The Star estimated. Caucus chairman, Minister Nazri Aziz, said 52 people related their experiences and gave suggestions on how to reduce crime.
'Truth'
Meanwhile, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail has ordered the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) investigation against Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum closed.
The decision was made as there was no statement to link Johari, who was said to have received RM5 million for releasing several criminals detained under the Emergency Ordinance 1969, said an Attorney-General Department statement issued to Bernama yesterday.
"I'm thankful truth Is on my side," says Johari Baharum in Bernama.
Last month, June 30, Reuters' Mark Bendeich reported from Kuala Lumpur that Johari as quoted as saying that his ministry was now "keeping tabs" on graft claims against the Inspector-General of Police, Musa Hassan.
Two days ago, Johari told the press that the Internal Security Ministry has lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) on the allegations of corruption involving Musa so as to enable investigations to be carried out.
In the frontpage lead today, Oriental Daily News recorded Deputy IGP Mohd Najib Abd Aziz's body language and choice of words when he was pursued for his remarks on the relationship between Johari and the IGP.
"What he said is his own business (「他要怎麼說，是他的事！」), Najib said in stern voice of Johari's remarks on the police chief, his immediate boss.
The paper noted that Musa was conspicuously absent from a police-related function to introduce the 'Guidelines for the Investigation and Prosecution of White-Collar Crimes' yesterday.
July 2, PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced that Musa ’s tenure as the IGP has been extended. Musa was scheduled to step down on September 12
Corruption allegations against Malaysia's government and top officials had surfaced again in local newspapers on as the prime minister struggled to keep his 3-1/2-year anti-graft campaign on track, Reuters summarised.
UPDATES: PAS Vice President Husam Musa has a press release on this.
Press Release: Deputy Home Minister Vs IGP: Where’s Abdullah?
As the days go past, the credibility of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi decreases.BN is lucky because the mainstream media is fully controlled.
Human capital that Abdullah strongly advocates has failed to gain support from the upper-level officials, and he can merely nod to the situation.
The investigation has been carried out when the Deputy Minister being accused of receiving RM5 million corruption for releasing 3 triad leaders. However, there is no instruction from Abdullah to investigate the corruption case of Musa Hasan, the IGP when it was revealed in the internet.
To make it worst, Abdullah has renewed the IGP’s contract with the justification for combating crime. The similarity can be seen through the renewals of the ACA Chief’s contract by Abdullah even after receiving 3 corruption reports from the ACA high-level officer.
Abdullah’s sensitivity in regard to corruption is obviously weak. His words such as “Tell me the truth” and “Don’t be apple polisher”, has gone with the “Monsoon Cup” wind.
When Abdullah was asked about the 600 pages report (probably taken from 8 big boxes that Ezam has mentioned before in regard to the misuse of power) on the corruption of a Minister, Abdullah shamelessly said that he has not read the report.
Based on Abdullah’s response to the media, it can be seen that he is not aware with the increased number of corruption cases. The subordinates under Abdullah’s administration are only interested in searching for wealth and this shows the failure of Abdullah’s policy of Islam Hadhari.
The question now, how is Abdullah going to position himself in determining the wrongdoer between Johari and Musa?
The ACA report that Johari initiated on Musa Hasan is an official act. Has he obtained the permission from Abdullah who is also the Interal Security Minister before he made the report in view of the IGP’s contract has just being renewed recently?
Does Musa not need to resign even though the Internal Security Ministry officers have lodged a report to ACA against him? This has shown the disbelief and sentiment from Internal security Ministry to the IGP. What will be the response of Abdullah if Johari did not inform him before lodging the report? Does it show that Johari didn’t have trust in Abdullah? Johari’s action has manifested that he does not respect the decision of Abdullah to renew Musa’s contract.
If this is the case, will Abdullah sack his Deputy?
If Abdullah was informed about the lodged report against Musa, what is the rational for him to renew Musa’s contract in view that the report has been lodged? Isn’t that the contract of Musa should be postponed and let the investigation on corruption report to go on? This has shown the inability of Abdullah in carrying out his job.
This is not about the reputation of Musa Hasan or Johari. This is the reputation of Abdullah and the BN government.
This is a crisis. Musa or Johari should be sacked or resign.
Datuk Paduka Haji Husam Musa
PAS Vice President.
Comments
Public Hearings made private! Another Malaysian oxymoron that even Stalin could not match.
Then again we are probably the only country where the Deputy Internal Security Minister investigates the IGP who in turn investigates the Deputy Minister for corruption. Further, from The Star, the ACA investigation consisted largely of interviewing the alleged criminals that was released inviting them to possibly incriminate themselves (if applicable) for giving bribes! Wow! Beat that Scotland Yard! Eat our sarong FBI!
Posted by: ZakarRia![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 12, 2007 09:26 AM
mayb i am one of those who distrust easily.. but i have never had any confidence in the public hearing soon as it was announced that Nazri is heading it... i even wrote in to malaysiakini to air my lack of confidence in the whole affair...
having said that i do still hope something positive and actionable can be gotten out of this hearings....
Posted by: Brian Fong![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 12, 2007 10:18 AM
Regarding the investigation into the corruption allegation, did you see how they did it. Called up the alleged bribe-givers and they said no and the case is closed! Anyone with a little common sense will know that to transfer RM5 million would need some kind of documented transaction. Start from there please. Maybe it just you scratch my back and I will yours. So in Malaysia boleh, all investigations of VIPs will lead to dead end and all prosecutions of VIP will also lead to dead end.
Posted by: simonscwee![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 12, 2007 10:49 AM
"Parliamentary Circus on Human Rights and Good Governance" should sound better as a description for this whole affair. It's getting tiresome even as a wayang.
Posted by: LC Teh![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 12, 2007 11:53 AM
In the Malaysian context in which many of the action taken were media-driven, to bar media reporting of such a event would be counter-productive. It only means that many Malaysians would be deprived of the firsthand knowledge of the experience of those hapless victims of crime. Without such knowledge, they would live in fear and unable to plan effective strategies to counter crimes. Police on their part would carry on with their tidak apa attitude and police cars would just drive off whenever anyone rush to them to report an ongoing crime in perpetration. Maybe the people can form vigilante groups and take the law into their own hands for their own safety. Maybe the time has come for such vigilante groups. Just think about it. Let there be initiatives.
Posted by: simonscwee![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 12, 2007 11:57 AM
Actually nazri was protecting us..he knew it will be a police bashig forum and if the media covered it, it will anger the police force, and some of our police officers might run amok,..and with the lax control of the armoury...any police officer can "borrow" a machine gun on "special mission" and they might shoot the hell out of all the people at the forum.
So nazri did well.
Posted by: art chan![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 12, 2007 12:14 PM
Mana ada lima juta? Bodoh, bodoh, bodoh!
Posted by: daniel![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 12, 2007 12:17 PM
What a laugh. The whole world is laughing at malaysia. I am appalled the thick skin of the GOVT. Have they no shame?
Posted by: joehancl![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 12, 2007 04:40 PM
"I am appalled the thick skin of the GOVT. Have they no shame?"
Actually its the thick skin ministers you should be appalled at. Some of us who actually work for the government are just plain embarassed to be lead by them. Nutters...
Posted by: alfabob![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 12, 2007 06:16 PM
public hearing or closed door?
bebal betul
Posted by: arifabdull![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 13, 2007 01:23 AM