MALAYSIA'S TOP COP BIDS FAREWELL AFTER 41 YEARS

By Nurqalby Mohd Reda

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 (Bernama) -- One can easily mistaken Musa
Hassan, the outgoing Inspector-General of Police (IGP), to be a stern man
judging from his hardened demeanor.

He is, after all, Malaysia's top cop.

But his smile, when he did smile, betrays his affable nature.

Rising to become the country's top policeman in September 2006, Musa retires
from the force Sept 13, leaving an elaborate career spanning four decades.

Today, Musa, 58, was given a farewell parade at the Police Training Centre,
here, 41 years after he first joined the force.

The law graduate from the United Kingdom joined the force as an inspector on
Nov 11, 1969 and held various positions early in his career, including as a
prosecuting officer in 1973.


He also held the post of Bukit Aman national police headquarters' narcotics
division director in 1981, lectured at the Kuala Kubu Baharu Police College,
appointed Bukit Aman deputy assistant director of prosecution in 1995 and Johor
Police Chief in 2003.

He also led the police investigation team into the sodomy and corruption
cases involving former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim in 1999.

In 2004, he was appointed the Criminal Investigation Department Director and
as the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in 2006 and later the IGP, a post he
held until his retirement Monday.

In March this year, he set in motion a major agenda to transform the police
by focusing on their efficiency in solving crimes, and introducing
zero-tolerance to misconduct, abuse of power and corruption.

The pledge was spelled out in the IGP Pledge, read for the first time in the
force's history at the 202nd Police Day in March.

During his tenure, he had also introduced the police's five-year strategic
plan covering logistics matter and enhancing the force's investigation
capabilities.

Musa also has a personal story to tell -- about how he went undercover and
posed as a trishaw rider in Penang to penetrate the drug trafficking activities
there.

In the process, he arrested one of the traffickers.

Musa had also posed as a sugarcane juice seller for the same purpose.

Among the media, he is best remembered for his line, "don't speculate, we
will investigate."

His name will no doubt continue to ring a bell long after his retirement.

-- BERNAMA



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