While refusing to disclose details, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Monday that a transition process was already in place, with details to be decided by the government.
“I already know who is going to replace the IGP. I already know who is going to replace the director of the commercial crime division. I already know those who will take over, so there is no need for us to speculate and report news without basis,” Hishammuddin was quoted as saying in a report by a web news portal.
Hishammuddin also said that representatives from China Press had been called by the ministry to provide an explanation on their report on Saturday about Musa's "letter of resignation".
He said that while the ministry will listen to their explanations, if found to be unsatisfactory, action will be taken against the newspaper.
Hishammuddin went on to clarify that the reshuffling process did not involve the IGP alone, but also other top-ranking officials within the police force.
Musa denied resignation report
“In this matter it does not only involve the IGP alone but four other directors out of the seven divisions of PDRM [who] will retire this year. In fact one of the directors is already on leave, three or six months prior to leaving the service.”
“So the transition is happening and this is an opportunity for us to look at a new chapter in the history of the police,” Hishammuddin said.
A news report published by China Press last Saturday had said that Musa would retire on Police Day on March 25 and would be succeeded by his deputy, Ismail Omar. Musa and Hishammuddin has since denied the report.
The report, quoting a source, said Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Hishammuddin had received Musa resignation's letter. Musa denied the report on the same day, saying he has "not submitted any resignation
letter to the Prime Minister or anyone."
“I want to know if the source is from official channels or from the underground. I know it is not from the ministry as I have checked with the ministry's secretary general Mahmood Adam who denied any
knowledge,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama on Saturday.
Hishammuddin on Saturday had instructed Mahmood Adam to ask the newspaper editor to explain
the report.
Show cause letter
The China Press is given until Saturday to give a written reply to the show cause letter which was issued under Section 8A of the Printing Presses and Publications Act.
If convicted, offenders are liable to be jailed not more than three year or fined not exceeding RM20,000 or both.
"If there are any changes, I will know... I have an excellent relation with the Inspector-General of Police and his deputy. It's impossible that they can resign without my knowledge. The report is a lie and I will take a stern action," he was quoted as saying by Bernama last Saturday.
DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang blasted Hishammuddin for threatening to take action against China Press over the report.
"Is the stability and strength of security in the country and in particular the Malaysian police force so brittle and fragile that a report like that of China Press today could seriously compromise or jeopardize them?" wrote Lim in his blog.
Musa, 59, who is the eighth IGP, has served in the top post for four years since he was appointed on Sept 12, 2006. He was given a two-year contract after he reached the compulsory retirement age in 2007 and
was further extended in 2009. Having served in the police force since 1969. Musa was the investigation officer of the first Anwar Ibrahim sodomy case in 1998.
Last year, Lim spearheaded a parliamentary roundtable that unanimously concluded that Musa should step down.
courtesy of Malaysian Mirror
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