[S.Mahfuz/BenarNews]
In his final press conference, Malaysia’s outgoing police chief blasted his boss on Friday for intervening in daily departmental affairs, saying this hampered his work and divided the force.
The meddling continued even after he reported it to the prime minister, Police Inspector-General Abdul Hamid Bador said. But his boss, Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin, said he had the authority to involve himself in police matters.
“He [the home minister] is only given the mandate to set policies, the direction of the police force. It is not his job to decide who becomes police commissioner and where, or who becomes the director and where. … Hamzah insisted on assuming the power to decide who will be placed where,” Abdul Hamid told reporters.