The public will continue to have a poor perception of the police if they continue to follow attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail’s instructions.

In warning this, former Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department chief Mat Zain Ibrahim, in his open letter to inspector-general of police Ismail Omar said he found the police are following the whims of the attorney-general, resulting in it not being able to act independently and receiving a lot of flak.

azlan “I am worried the old history may repeat itself, as had happened to former IGP Abdul Rahim Noor. Rahim had a distinguished career as the top policeman in the country but his reputation was in tatters as a result of him being outplayed by Gani, which left the top cop being jailed for two months and having to pay a fine of RM2,000,” he said.

“If Rahim had maintained his gentlemanly stand in October 1998, taking full responsibility over the black-eye incident, he would not have had to face the jail term as the grounds for his mitigation were strong. However, Gani outwitted Rahim, who was a former director of Special Branch, which resulted in him being in the bad books of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad,” he said.

Mahathir had, in his memoirs, said about the former IGP that “Rahim did me no favours politically - in fact, he did much harm to Malaysia’s international standing.” Mat Zain described Mahathir’s memoir on Rahim as a dark moment in history which belied Rahim’s contributions to Malaysia.

However, he pointed out one could not fault Mahathir as he is a normal human being as he (Mahathir) was also cheated during the black-eye incident when he claimed that Anwar’s injury was self-inflicted, when Gani tricked the former prime minister into not believing police investigations.

“Gani’s deceit resulted in the formation of the royal commission of inquiry and it had transferred the power of investigation from the police to the commission,” he said in his eight-page letter.

Mat Zain has been very vocal on Gani following allegations that he had hidden certain facts in the black-eye incident. In March, he called on the police not to let them be used as a tool by Gani.

Calling for RCI on Gani and Musa

Mat Zain’s bad blood with Gani and former IGP Musa Hassan continued when the two were said to have conspired to fix Anwar in the homosexuality allegation by asking him (Mat Zain) to take Anwar’s blood sample, which he had refused, saying it was illegal.

However, he claimed Musa, along with another senior police officer Rodwan Yusof, had stolen the blood sample for DNA testing as Musa was under pressure to prove the allegation on Anwar in any way he could, as he had explained in his letter last December.

azlan Mat Zain said who can trust Musa when a Sessions Court judge in Kota Kinabalu, Supang Lian, had noted in her judgment in a corruption case brought against former Commercial Crime Department director Ramli Yusof that the inspector-general was “an unreliable witness who is to be disregarded”.

On Gani, Mat Zain said many reports were made against the attorney-general when he had forced a Hospital Kuala Lumpur doctor to falsify his report with regard to the black-eye incident, which one could not deny as it had been brought to the royal commission of inquiry.

“This is something which cannot be denied as there were also conflicting press statements following the black-eye incident which had also been tendered as evidence,” said the former senior police officer.

Mat Zain said the violations done by Gani and Musa either collectively or individually had brought about a long-term effect and disrepute to the country’s justice system.

“It has resulted in the public confidence in the police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers to be on the decline. To ensure public justice, I suggest Ismail brings this matter up to the prime minister for a royal commission or tribunal be formed to investigate the claims independently once and for all.

“Although the injustice may have been 12 years ago it does not mean that they can be forgotten altogether. Look at the perseverance of the Batang Kali residents seeking justice from the British government after 24 Chinese residents were massacred. They had sought justice until the United Kingdom,” he said.

Mat Zain warned that if this is not done, the public will continue to bring up the irregularity in the police investigations in 1998 and the actions taken by Musa and Gani which had brought public justice into disrepute.

azlan On the sex video, Mat Zain said he observed that the police are subservient to the attorney-general when such a small case which in the past would be given to a sergeant had continuously been brought back and forth from the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

“I know it is difficult for Ismail to take over from Musa and return the situation to the status quo ante but we have to continue the effort so as the public and retirees like me will be proud of the force.

“Whatever it is, the police should not let Gani hold the prime minister or many others as his hostages,” he warned.