
PM defends appointment of M Kumar as CID chief
PUTRAJAYA : Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today defended the appointment of M Kumar as the director of Bukit Aman's criminal investigation department (CID), saying race should not stand in the way of competent individuals holding important posts in the government.
'It is not an issue for me. Anyone who can do the job is eligible for it,' he said at the monthly meeting of the finance ministry.
Kumar officially took over as federal CID chief on Aug 8, replacing Shuhaily Zain who was transferred to lead the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency.
On Aug 12, Bersatu's Badrul Hisham Shaharin posted a 'delayed' congratulatory post on Kumar's appointment, saying 'this shows that Malaysia has started to embrace' the 'Malaysian Malaysia' concept.
The Port Dickson Bersatu chief also cited the promotion of Johnny Lim as a lieutenant-general in the armed forces.
He said that if the concept continued to be accepted by the government, Malaysia could soon have its first non-Bumiputera chief justice, armed forces chief and inspector-general of police.
Anwar said that a majority of high-ranking cops in the country were Malays, including the inspector-general of police, the deputy inspector-general of police, and other directors of various departments.
He also hit out at those who fan racial sentiments by claiming that the national language is being eroded and that the Chinese community is becoming more politically powerful.
Anwar said that to save the country, the government needed to ensure justice for both the majority and minorities.
'We don't want the tyranny of the majority, nor do we want the tyranny of the minorities,' he said.
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