September 20, 2011
Mat Zain and the A-G: An Unending Saga
Malaysiakini (Sep 19, 11 3:15pm)
A former CID director, Mat Zain, has argued that the federal government has “confirmed” that Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail tampered with evidence in the 1998 ‘black eye’ incident involving Anwar Ibrahim.
Mat Zain Ibrahim, in an open letter to Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar, referred to a 
review of the incident by a three-member panel. He noted that one panel-member had established a prima facie case against Gani (right). And by defending the panel’s legitimacy and authority through a ministerial statement to Parliament last December, he argued, Putrajaya had validated the minority finding.
“The main issue is whether Gani had falsified evidence in the investigation involving Anwar or not. It is clear that, in this case, the government had confirmed that the falsifying of evidence did take place.
“In short, whether by design or through technical grounds, the government has affirmed Gani as a criminal,” alleged Mat Zain in the lengthy letter also sent to selected news orgasations.
In July 2008, Anwar faced allegations of sodomising his then aide Mohd Saiful Bukhary Azlan, and responded by lodging a police report against Gani, then police chief Musa Hassan, Mat Zain and one Dr Abdul Rahman Yusof.
Anwar accused the four of tampering with evidence used in the investigations into the ‘black eye’ incident. This was part of his efforts to show that there was a high-level conspiracy against him and that Gani and Musa could not therefore be party to the probe into the fresh sodomy charge.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigated the matter and formed an independent panel comprising former top judges Kadir Sulaiman (left), Wira Mohd Nor and Ahmad Nor Abdullah to probe the allegation.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz told Parliament in March 2009 that the panel had cleared both Gani and Musa of wrongdoing, but there was no mention of Mat Zain and Abdul Rahman.
Nazri said one of the three panel-members had indeed found a case against Gani, but that the panel’s decision was based on the majority view.
‘Review Musa’s role’
Mat Zain said Musa’s alleged role in briefing then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad on allegations of Anwar’s sexual misconduct must also be examined in light of a recent judgment that has raised questions about Musa’s credibility.
Mat Zain noted that Mahathir wrote in his memoirs that he had been briefed about Anwar’s alleged misconduct by IGP (Tun) Hanif Omar in 1993, but took the matter lightly until a subsequent briefing by new IGP Abdul Rahim Noor and Musa, then the investigating officer.
“This time, they had evidence, including pictures and confessions of the people involved,” wrote Mahathir.
But Mat Zain argued that Sessions Court Judge Supang Lian had in a 2009 judgment ruled Musa (right) to be “unreliable and to be disregarded” as a witness in the MACC’s legal proceedings against former Commercial Crimes Investigation Department chief Ramli Yusoff.
In view of this, Mat Zain said Musa’s role in the 1997 briefing to Mahathir is now questionable and must be reviewed.
“If a Sessions Court judge can record that Musa cannot be trusted in the notes of proceeding, at a time when he was still the IGP, it is not wrong to question whether he was lying or not when he briefed Mahathir on Anwar,” said Mat Zain.
Musa recently denied Mat Zain’s claims and instead accused the latter of being in cahoots with Anwar.
Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger 
This story has made so many rounds in the media, that the only reason why it should still be out there is the hope that since a legislation like the ISA can be repealed, good sense may still prevail deep in the inner recesses of gray matter between somebody’s ears that an investigation into the role played by the country’s top prosecutor in that case may not be water under the bridge.
” The Government had confirmed that evidence was falsified ” by the AG – Mat Zain Ibrahim. ( in refrence to the Anwar Ibrahim’s blue-eyed incident, in which the IGP then, had gone to JAIL ! )
It looks like that without a doubt what Mat Zain alleges that AG had tried to cover-up matters, is something serious in view of the fact that he, the AG, stands to be the ” beneficiary ” to take over from the former AG by the blessings of the ” retired” PM – all in the game with selfish motives…
It just goes to show that Mat Zain was an honest cop, and not corrupt like Musa Hasan. There is no skeleton in his cupboard for Gani Patail & Musa( when he was IGP) to dig & exploit. If there had been any, Gani & Musa would have dragged Mat Zain to court. Both also dare not sue mat Zain for defamation because what Mat Zain alleges is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Gani fabricated evidences to be used in a judicial hearing. This is an unforgivable sins amongst the law enforcement fraternity. Gani is helpless and speechless at the onslaught made against him by Mat Zain. The Soliticor Gen if he has any balls should charge Gani for fabricating evidences, ie the medical reports.
I believe Mat Zain. He has nothing to gain by exposing all these wrongdoings by the AG and Hassan. There are times when a man stands up for Truth and Justice. Mat Zain is just doing that. He is a man with a conscience.
Exercise in Futility.
Conscience can only do so much. Cynical? Yup.
Despite all the profanities, barking, whining, groaning, mutterings and grumblings, nothing out of the ordinary will happen. The Inviolability of this AG is for Self-interest and Preservation of the Powerful – what Jeremy Bentham (the English buddy of Adam Smith) calls ‘Sinister Interest’.
Familiaris,
No body can dispute what you have just said. This is reality.
CL
What you have stated is true and indisputable for ordinary people like us. But when changes take place, say after the next GE, then who knows? Also the AG has to retire some time. He cannot hold on to the post forever like Edgar Hoover did at the FBI. So who knows what can happen then. And finally, as God says to mankind, “You can hide things from all other mankind but O Man you cannot hide from Me!”
Yes guys. At the moment it’s mainly running, weaving and calisthenics. No Kung-fu, Silat, Judo, Karate, Kalari-Payat or what ever yet.
That’s why it’s called ‘exercise’. No one can exercise forever. Futility, like exercise, has an end point in History and may that end come sooner, rather than later. We need weed-killers.
It is called obstruction of justice which may be a more serious offence than the primary offence itself, and carries a harsher sentence. So is the offence of resisting arrest. But in Malaysia where the pursuit of justice is not an end in itself, obstruction of justice can be used as both a sword and a shield. Does that sound complicated to you? It is to me.
Complicated? Yup.
That’s why we are all ‘knotted’ up hereabouts, Bean.
Neither going forwards or upwards, but we keep falling flat on our faces. It’s like having the schoolyard bully taking liberties with the prettiest gal in school, while the the ‘majority’ play with themselves. We can shout ourselves hoarse, but power wends it’s own way. As far as this is concerned, nothing will change unless the Wimps put some nuts in their sacs.