ANTI-GRAFT authorities cleared a controversial trip to Turkey made by the police top brass but said the negative public perception it generated should not be dismissed. 

Malaysians had questioned the timing of the trip, scheduled less than three months before Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun retires, as well as the need for such a large delegation to study Turkey’s anti-gambling laws.

A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission officer told The Malaysian Insight there was nothing illegal about the trip which was sponsored by a company making a contribution to the government.

The working trip to Istanbul was sponsored by 4D operator Da Ma Cai and was approved by the Malaysian Totalisator Board which comes under the Ministry of Finance.

It is learnt Fuzi took his daughter along at his own expense while Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division director Mohmad Salleh brought his wife, also at his own expense.

“The sponsorship did not cover the expenses of the wives and other family members of the officers who tagged along,” the MACC officer said.

“Because of that they (police officers) were not afraid to bring their relatives. There is nothing wrong with this, nothing wrong with Da Ma Cai sponsoring them as it is part of its contributions to the government.

“It was also approved by the home minister (Muhyiddin Yassin). The finance minister (Lim Guan Eng) made it clear that not a sen of government funds was used.

The source noted there was negative public perception of the trip as the IGP was nearing retirement.

“It would have been better if low-ranking officers had attended such a working-trip,” he said.

An officer from the Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division (D7) said it have been more beneficial to send officers on the ground on the study trip.

“D7 from time to time sends an officer who is an expert on gambling activities for such courses,” the officer said.

“We have never heard of such a high-ranking delegation attending such trips.”

The officer said Turkey has been combating online gambling syndicates in the country since 2006.

He said those who should have gone to Turkey would be the officers whose expertise is online gambling. These are the officers who are involved in investigations, he added.

He also said he was surprised that wives and relatives had been allowed on a working trip.

The trip to Istanbul was revealed on Sunday by whistle-blower site Sarawak Report, which said the delegation comprised 17 high-ranking police officers, some of whom were accompanied by their wives.

The report had asked if taxpayers had funded the trip, which would have cost more than RM250,000 for the air tickets and and nearly RM60,000 for hotel accommodation, not including meals and other expenses into account.

In response, Muhyiddin said he had approved the trip as it was about fighting online gambling, which was useful.

“(It is) not about (giving a trip to) someone who will be retiring soon. We don’t do that.

“I approved it because it was a useful trip. But I do not know how many people went or which tickets they bought,” the home minister had said.

Checks show there were two high-ranking policewomen in the delegation. – February 15, 2019.