Syed Hamid's responsibility, now biggest embarassment for Malaysia

Our attention have been focussed on matters Anwar-Najib-Altantuya-Saiful-Balasubramaniam- Sodomy-Murder... and many missed the happening of a VERY EMBARASSING nature here in Malaysia - in the Immigration Department that comes under Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar.

A Director General was arrested, remanded by the Anti-Corruption Agency, and so was the Deputy D-G on 11 and 12 July 2008.

Yes, we are talking about Datuk Abdul Wahid Md Don and his deputy, Yusof Abu Bakar - and this is national DG - not some state DG.

Wahid and Yusof were arrested on July 11 and 12.
Both have been released on bail and have been transferred to the Public Service Department.

Wahid was alleged to have received money in exchange for issuing work visas to foreigners while Yusof had allegedly received payments to approve extended passes for tourists who had overstayed.

They were among at least a dozen people detained in both cases. - New Straits Times, 20/7/2008 - 'New D-G for Immigration.'

Embarrassing because we are not talking about some petty immigration officers here and there at the bottom rungs - but the Big Boss Man No. 1 and No. 2 of the Malaysian Immigration Department, which comes under the Home Ministry - but the Minister seem to be preoccupied with the DNA issues in the Anwar case.

And, finally they have taken steps to appoint the replacements - but alas, it would have been much better if they had picked persons from the Education, Agriculture, Health, Income Tax, etc, some other departments - but certainly not the Immigration Department itself, when investigations still going on(the new No. 2 come from here), and most certainly not from Najib's Ministry of Defence, where there have also been allegations of corruption - Altantuya, submarine, etc..

Datuk Mahmood Adam has been appointed Immigration Department director-general, replacing Datuk Abdul Wahid Md Don who has been transferred pending investigations into alleged corruption. Mahmood was deputy Defence Ministry secretary-general (management). His appointment takes effect tomorrow.

The appointment was announced by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan yesterday.

Mohd Sidek also announced that the department's director of the Foreign Workers' Division, Abdul Rahman Othman, would be Mahmood's deputy, replacing Yusof Abu Bakar, who is also being probed by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA).- New Straits Times, 20/7/2008 - 'New D-G for Immigration.'

The Immigration department's director of the Foreign Workers' Division, Abdul Rahman Othman, should not have been appointed - at least not until all investigations are complete. Did he not know what was going around him all this time? Did he consent to acts of corruption by being silent and playing ignorant ('buat tak tahu')? Come...come now, surely there are other candidates that could be appointed..

So, with this appointment, does it mean that the Datuk Abdul Wahid Md Don and Yusof Abu Bakar will not get back their position even if the investigation shows that allegations/suspicions against them are baseless.

If, however the allegations against them are NOT baseless, then they must be charged and tried in an open court -- do not resort to using the ISA or some other law allowing detention without trial on them.

This is not the first time that Immigration officers have been arrested, but in most (if not all) of those previous cases, the ISA was used....and that is just so wrong. The talk is that the ISA was used because bigger fish were involved -- and if it is done again, the big fish immediately above the DG is Syed Hamid Akbar...and then the PM and the DPM. There has already been hints of "national security" - so it will not surprise me if again all is swept under the carpet using the ISA.

Charge them fast - and get the trial moving very fast (just like the Altantuya case, and the earlier Anwar cases) because this is a very serious matter, which is so shameful to all Malaysians, when the DG is involved...