Police Turkey trip: No need for new SOP, says home minister
A standard operating procedure will not be established in the wake of police top brass going on a study trip to Turkey, Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said today.
"There is no need for it," he told a press conference in Semenyih when asked about the need to formulate a new SOP to avoid conflicts of interest.
Muhyiddin stressed that there is nothing wrong with him approving the contentious trip, which was sponsored by the Totalisator Board – an agency under the Finance Ministry which oversees the horse racing industry, and receives gambling royalties.
A standard operating procedure will not be established in the wake of police top brass going on a study trip to Turkey, Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said today.
"There is no need for it," he told a press conference in Semenyih when asked about the need to formulate a new SOP to avoid conflicts of interest.
Muhyiddin stressed that there is nothing wrong with him approving the trip sponsored by the Totalisator Board, an agency under the Finance Ministry which oversees the horse racing industry, and receives gambling royalties.
He said he approved the application submitted by inspector-general of police Mohamad Fuzi Harun – who led the delegation to Istanbul to learn about combatting online gambling – after making sure there was no conflict of interest.
"When I looked at the (application) letter, I had to be sure that there was no conflict of interest, in the sense that those who are sponsoring it must not be a party involved in gambling.
"It is sponsored by the Totalisator Board, which, as you know, is under the Finance Ministry," he said.
"I told Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng that was the reason for me to give the approval. For me, there was no conflict of interest.
"So, I feel that there is no need (to set up) an SOP, because I have been in the government for 40 years.
"I know what I should do and I am aware that people want me not to make any missteps. I do not see any mistake in this issue," he added.
Fighting illegal gambling
According to Sinar Harian yesterday, Fuzi expressed his regret yesterday over the controversy that has arisen over the study trip, which was funded by money from betting company Da Ma Cai via the Totalisator Board.
On Feb 10, Sarawak Report said that around 16 senior officers participated in the trip, and that a total of RM312,441 could have been spent on business class flights and five-star accommodation.
“I don’t know the motive of those who write those reports. What is certain, we went there to work. That was our official duty.
"Numerous programmes were organised by our counterparts in Turkey. They provided us with facilities and organised side programmes.
"Every year the Totalisator Board offers (sponsorships) to us because we help them fight illegal gambling syndicates," he said.
Finance minister Lim Guan Eng also revealed yesterday that the agency had sponsored three police work trips abroad under the Najib Abdul Razak administration.
This was in response to Najib earlier claiming that he has never heard of betting firms sponsoring police trips when he was in power.
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