E Contrario

The internal conflicts within the police force are intensifying.

Last Thursday (1 Nov) Ramli Yusuff, the head of Commercial Crime Investigation Department of the Royal Malaysian Police Force has been formally charged with corruption (Malaysiakini Nov 2).

Ramli has been the highest ranking police officer charged in the history of Malaysia. While evidences against him are yet to be proven in the trial, the allegations against him are very serious.

However I remain skeptical of the the real motive of bringing Ramli to trial. The people need no reminder that in the 2004 general election, several personalities including: Eric Chia, Kasitah Gaddam etc. were dragged to court. Nevertheless, none of them have been convicted.

I doubt catching Ramli would bring any real improvement of the integrity of the police force. It appears that exposing Ramli Yusuff is the result of internal strives within the Force. It reveals that factional rivalry is out in the open.

Ramli corruption case is definitely a mere tip of the iceberg. Charging him does not mean police force is now clean. Similarly, the non-renewal of Ahmad Fairuz does not in itself clear the stained judiciary credibility.

The problem of corruption is not lied in individual morality. Without transparency, any system is prone to corruption. We can remove one Ramli Yusuff or Ahmad Fairuz. But there maybe many more Ramli Yusuff and Ahmad Fairuz circulating in the system.

Equally, we can also question the IGP and other high ranking police officers whether they are really clean. In the name of fairness, investigation and prosecution should not be one-sided.

If the Government sincerely want to eliminate or reduce abuses, it must first be willing to face the truth and swallow the bitter pills.

In the case of police, the Royal Commission on Police had presented 125 recommendations to the Government. They include the establishment of ICPMC. The report is gathering dust on the PM’s table.

As for judiciary, the Government is still refusing to face the scandal of the VK Lingam clip. It is shameful that only after the strong objection from the Agong, the PM reluctantly discontinued the service of a crooked judge. The Government is dragging its feet with the Royal Commission on the judiciary.

I don’t detect any genuine commitment in implementing overall reforms. I can only conclude that this is nothing but a vote-baiting maneuver. As more and more bad news are coming out, the BN cannot afford to delay the election any longer. One should not feel surprise to expect a snap election within next two weeks.

Instead of undertaking the task of reforming the decaying system, the BN regime just want to pull through a general election and hold the public for ransom. After election, the BN assumes that the same elite will continue.

Thus, it is obvious that the public is again taken for a ride, the catching corruption game is nothing but another Public Relations exercise.

Sad.