There will be a new man at the helm of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) tomorrow, when the current inspector-general of police (IGP) goes on compulsory retirement.

Mohamad Fuzi Harun, who was appointed as IGP on Sept 4, 2017, is scheduled to retire tomorrow, and there was talk recently about who will be taking over the top post.

According to hierarchy, it is almost certain the post will be filled by the number two man in PDRM now, Abdul Hamid Bador (photo, above), the acting deputy inspector-general of police, who has been acting in the post since March 15, after the Deputy IGP Noor Rashid Ibrahim went on compulsory retirement on the same date.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad confirmed Abdul Hamid has been proposed as the 12th Inspector-General of Police.

According to Bukit Aman sources, the handing over ceremony for the top police post will be held tomorrow at the Kuala Lumpur Police Training Centre (Pulapol), while a farewell ceremony will be held for Fuzi in the evening.

If everything goes according to plan, the focus will be on the individual who will fill the number two post, which will become vacant if Abdul Hamid moves up as IGP.

Among the names mentioned as the deputy inspector-general of police was Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani.

If Abdul Hamid is appointed as the IGP, it will fill the tradition of top leadership in PDRM, which saw several number one police officers coming from the Special Branch.

The trend was seen since the third IGP, Abdul Rahman Hashim, fourth IGP Mohammed Hanif Omar, fifth IGP Abdul Rahim Noor, as well as the sixth IGP Norian Mai.

With the exception of the first IGP, Claude Fenner, second IGP Mohamed Salleh Ismael, seventh IGP Mohd Bakri Omar and the ninth IGP Ismail Omar, who were not from the Special Branch leadership.

Fuzi, who is the 11th IGP, is also from the Special Branch.

He was born on May 4, 1959, in Parit, Perak and began his police career as an ASP cadet on Jan 8, 1984.

Among the important posts Fuzi had held were Sabah Special Branch head from 1998 to 2005; Bukit Aman Special Branch deputy director II from 2007 to 2009; Bukit Aman Counter-Terrorism director from 2009 to 2014; and Bukit Aman Special Branch director from 2015 to 2017.

- Bernama