KL keeps mum on new police chief

KL keeps mum on new police chief

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia has yet to decide on a successor for former police chief Abdul Rahim Noor, a minister said on Thursday, as an opposition leader warned further delays might affect the moral of the police force.

Rahim, 56, quit on Jan. 8 after a report by the attorney- general blamed police for injuries suffered by former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim under police custody following his arrest in September.

The case of Anwar, who was sacked on Sept. 2, sparked international concern when he made his first court appearances sporting a black eye. Anwar was charged with 10 counts of corruption and sexual misconduct, all of which he dismissed as part of a political conspiracy.

The government last week set up an independent inquiry commission to look into Anwar's injuries, after police investigations failed to identify the officers responsible. The four-men panel, comprising a former attorney-general, two retired judges and a doctor, is to start work on Feb. 22 and plans to make its findings public.