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Media Statement (2)         
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Petaling Jaya, Sunday): The statement by the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday that he was not aware of the postings on a website on allegations of corruption and involvement with underworld figures against the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan and top police officers and that he would “check” strains credulity to the utmost. 

This is because these allegations against Musa  and other top police officers have been made almost a month ago, the first article  appearing on June 3 and the second article on June 9, 2007. 

It appeared on a known website, Malaysia-Today news portal and by an identified writer,  Raja Petra Kamaruddin in his series “The Corridor of Power” – unlike the earlier Internet allegations of RM5.5 million corruption accusing the Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Johari Baharum for releasing three men held under the Emergency Ordinance which appeared on anonymous websites three months ago. 

Furthermore, on June 19, I had sought to adjourn Dewan Rakyat to have an urgent parliamentary debate on the serious corruption allegations against both Johari and Musa, and although my motion was rejected by the Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah as not “urgent”, is it conceivable that the Deputy Prime Minister continued to be unaware or uninterested about the serious corruption allegations against the Inspector-General of Police? 

Up to now, nobody in government has been able to explain why the corruption allegations against Johari which appeared on an anonymous website was immediately investigated while the corruption allegations against Musa which appeared on a known website has instead been ignored by the authorities! 

If Najib is really unaware of the contents of the Internet allegations of corruption against Musa, then something is very wrong with Najib or his circle of advisers in this Internet era where information travels at the speed of light,  24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. 

Will Najib now raise in the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday that there should be independent investigation into the serious corruption allegations against the IGP? 

The problem is that serious questions of integrity have also been posed to Najib himself about the massive defence purchase commissions, i.e. US$120 million commission for the submarine deals from France and US$100 million commission for Sukhoi jet from Russia. 

Who will raise in the Cabinet that there should also be an independent investigation into these deals in keeping with the public commitment of the Abdullah premiership to foster integrity and combat corruption? 

Be that as it may, now that Najib has publicly said that he would “check” on Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s serious allegations of corruption against Musa and other top police officers, he should explain what he proposes to do about these allegations.

(1/7/2007)