EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF! Police sources reveal Zahid acted on his own over Phua-FBI letter

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi did not consult the police before sending a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding alleged Malaysian gambling kingpin Paul Phua.

According to police sources, even Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar was in the dark about the matter.

"Nobody in the police (top brass) knew about the letter or its contents.

"We only learned of its existence when the matter was exposed in the media," one of them told Malaysiakini.

Apart from this, the sources also defended the police report regarding Phua, which lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah had claimed was erroneous.

Contacted later, Khalid declined to comment on the issue, saying the questions should be posed to the minister instead.

Yesterday, the IGP clarified that his silence on the case was not due to fear of Zahid, who oversees the police force.

He reiterated that commenting on the matter could jeopardise the court proceedings against Phua in the United States.

Previously, Khalid told Malaysiakini that his personnel had been in constant communication with the FBI regarding the case.

He also confirmed that while the 14K triad did not operate here, Malaysians abroad are known to be members of the transnational criminal organisation.

Zahid Hamidi

Shafee, however, had claimed that Phua, with business interests overseas, was wrongly accused of being a 14K member since the organisation does not exist in Malaysia.

The Umno-linked lawyer, who was speaking on behalf of Phua’s US-based legal team, said that Zahid had penned the letter to correct the police’s error and in defence of a Malaysian citizen.

Apart from stating that the 14K triad has no roots in Malaysia, the minister has kept mum on the matter despite various quarters demanding an explanation.

Among those calling on Zahid to break his silence was Perkasa, which asked if the police chief was aware of the letter and if the attorney-general was briefed on its contents.

On the other hand, the opposition have also urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to be accountable and explain his minister’s conduct.

Shafee also courted flak, with PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli lambasting him for speaking on behalf of the police.

He also lauded the police chief for his “subtle repudiation” of the lawyer’s claims. -M'kini