Musa reveals more, implicates businessman

Teoh El Sen

The ex-IGP claims that former MACC advisor Robert Phang was involved in a communication devices deal for the police which did not meet specifications.

PETALING JAYA: Several senior policemen were transferred out of the Bukit Aman Logistics Department (Communications Division) and put in “cold storage” for refusing to approve a technically unsound project involving walkie talkies worth almost RM1 billion.

It is learnt that the project was mooted towards the end of 2008 and involved the replacement of more than 30,000 new walkie-talkies for beat policemen, stations and vehicles nationwide, including Sabah and Sarawak.

However, problems arose a year or two after the project, which was a direct negotiation contract, took off as the implementation of the devices were allegedly not according to specifications.

One of the problems was the apparent lack of coverage or “black spots” in certain areas around the country such as in certain buildings, and in one case very little coverage along the East-West highway despite being promised otherwise.

The other issues, which “deviated from the agreed specificaitons”, include a recording system which sometimes records when nobody speaks and vice versa; and also incidents where the walkie talkie transmits by itself.

However, despite the flaws, sources said that those within the Home Ministry and top ranking policemen were constantly pressuring a team of technical experts to sign the acceptance of the equipment before the issues were smoothed out.

“[Former inspector-general of police] Musa Hassan did not agree to a project that was not done properly but they used KDN [Home Ministry] to force the technical team to do whatever the company wanted. They were under tremendous pressure,” said a source with direct knowledge of the deal.

“By mid 2010, when the first phase was being put out in the Klang Valley, we already noticed that all these problems were surfacing, but they were swept under the carpet.

“They realised that if they signed the project, we will go to jail. So better transfer,” added the source.

Investigate Ismail

Speaking to FMT on this, Musa said when he was still IGP, he kept a close watch on the project to ensure that the equipment was what the police needed. However, he claimed, other parties’ interests crept in after he left.

Musa said that prominent businessman and former MACC advisor Robert Phang was a consultant for the project and acted as a go-between the police and the provider, a multinational telecommunications company.

“Because he was close with the police. So at that time, I believe that there were some government officers in the ministry who was involved in the company.

“Since it was approved by the government, I had to carry it out. But I made sure that the technical team that overseeing the project does not compromise to ensure that it is up to specifications and to ensure that this communication can be used throughout Malaysia without any hiccups.

“So after I left… I was not quite happy because it was still not up to specifications. I was informed that it would not work well and that is why the technical team refused to sign the commission so that money can be paid,” he told FMT.

However, Musa alleged that even Phang threatened the team. “The team received a call from him saying that if you don’t sign it, you will be transferred out.”

True enough, he added, at least three officers ranked DSP, Supt and SAC were then given letters of transfers out of the department.

“So the team refused to sign, and they were called by the IGP. The present IGP [Ismail Omar] asked them to commission it… because they need the government to pay the money… I don’t know how many million. So they got transferred and now it actually went through.

“Officers who have the capability and technical expertise in communication are being put in cold storage by this businessman. That’s how good his connections are. He is very close to the IGP now… very friendly with the home minister,” said Musa.

Musa said that he wanted the authorities to investigate Ismail for possibly abusing his powers and Phang for allegedly abetting the former.


He said that Phang had also approached him when he was still the IGP.

“When I was IGP, he used to come to my office, he told me he was a close friend of [former IGP] Tun Haniff [Omar]. And that when Tun Haniff was the IGP he was the advisor to Tun Haniff, he claimed. And then told me, ‘why don’t you appoint me as your advisor, because Tun Haniff trusted me’. Then I told him thank you very I don’t need any advisor, I can think for myself. After that he never liked it, and we never got involved [in that way],” he said.

Asked what being an advisor meant, Musa shrugged and replied:” You are a businessman, and you want to advise on what? Wouldn’t you advise to your own benefit? When somebody offers himself to me to be an advisor. To me it is something strange, why does he want to advise me. Advise me on what?”

Musa then claimed that Phang was “working for somebody” but declined to name the person, beyond saying that the individual had “bigger influence”.

Asked if the transfer of officers was a move to remove those from his camp, Musa replied:”I never had a camp, everybody is my officer. If I work for the people, why should I have camps?”

Meanwhile, Phang said he would respond to the allegations after studying them.