KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — Former national police chief Tan Sri Musa Hassan has quit as patron of MyWatch to set up another crime watchdog outfit following reports of a rift.
The retired policeman confirmed today news that he is forming Malaysia Community Crime Care Association (MCCCA) with N. Ravindran, who was MyWatch secretary-general.
“We are still in the planning stages, to set up our constitution and everything. There are a lot people. We will release a press statement soon,” Musa told The Malay Mail Online when contacted.
MyWatch, which in full is called the Malaysian Crime Watch Task Force, entered the public eye last year after the police veteran of 41 years years became its patron.
Backed by the former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the group had gained prominence with its allegations that the police top brass were involved in money laundering, illegal gambling, prostitution, football bookmaking and had direct links with underworld figures.
The alarming rate of snatch thefts, burglaries, armed robberies, kidnappings and gun violence including murders had provided much fodder in the run-up to the 13th general election, with critics questioning the Najib administration over its claim that crime had dipped considerably since initiatives under the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) were put in place in 2010.
MyWatch hit headlines again recently after its 29-year-old chairman, R. Sanjeevan, was shot at close range on July 29 while driving in Bahau, Negri Sembilan after taking to Twitter to allege further corruption within the police top ranks.
The fall-out within the crime watchdog’s ranks appears inevitable, given Musa’s remarks a day later.
“Sanjeevan is too outspoken, and I’ve advised him that if has any information, he needs to go to MACC. If he wants to cooperate with the police, do it properly. Cooperate with the police that he trust, give them (the information) for them to take action. But he decided to do his own monitoring. He was in Jempol to monitor and he received threats,” he told Malay news channel, Astro Awani in remarks published on July 30.
“If I am too outspoken or straightforward, people will think that I am anti-government, anti-police. I am a former policeman and I love the police squad.
“That’s why I said that if we want to elevate the police’s image or improve the public’s perception of the police, it can only be done with the policeman. If they’re honest, people will trust them. That’s it,” Musa reportedly added.
Ravindran told The Malay Mail Online MCCCA had held its first meeting but declined to provide further details until the set-up is sorted.
However, he admitted to a schism within the MyWatch leadership as being the deciding factor behind his departure.
“I left even before the shooting of Sanjeevan happened. As a secretary-general, you are supposed to be informed of MyWatch activity. But I don’t get informed on a lot of things, by Sanjeevan himself,” Ravindran said.
He added that some of MyWatch’s actions were “unethical” but did not elaborate.
“I want to be a part of something transparent and clear cut,” he said. — Bernama
