Former Bukit Aman CID chief to join PAS tomorrow

By Shannon Teoh

May 19, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 — Retired senior policeman Datuk Fauzi Shaari will join PAS tomorrow, the first big name to sign up with the Islamic party which has embarked on a campaign to recruit key establishment figures to help shore up voter support ahead of looming polls.

Fauzi, who was once criminal investigation chief, the third highest office in the force, was rumoured to be joining PAS a month ago along with former Bukit Aman commercial crimes investigation chief Datuk Ramli Yusoff and ex-Umno Cabinet minister Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir.

Ramli and Abdul Kadir, who is deputy president of Amanah, an NGO headed by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, have denied that they have already joined PAS despite the latter having quit Umno recently after accusing the party of being plagued by money politics.

Fauzi, who retired from the police force about two years ago, has remained under the radar.

But The Malaysian Insider has learnt that the former Selangor and Sarawak police chief will officially join the party in a ceremony tomorrow night in his home town of Larut, Perak.

Party organ Harakah also reported this morning that an ex-top policeman will hand over membership forms to president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in a "Grand Declaration" ceremony tomorrow with top Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders present.

"It's Datuk Fauzi Shaari but I can't confirm if he has sent in membership forms," PAS research chief Dzulkefly Ahmad told The Malaysian Insider, adding that deputy president Mohamad Sabu was the party's liaison with the 61-year-old.

"That must be Datuk Fauzi Shaari," another senior retired policeman said, adding that word of the policeman, famed for his efforts in busting vice, agreeing to contest elections under PAS had circulated for weeks now.

The Malaysian Insider also reported that PAS wants Ramli and Abdul Kadir to contest in a general election that must be held within a year.

Ramli has consistently pressured the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government to set up a tribunal to investigate claims of abuse of power against the Attorney-General.

PAS leaders who spoke to The Malaysian Insider confirmed that “overtures” and informal “invitations” had been made to the two with regards to joining PAS, but neither Abdul Kadir nor Ramli have made a decision over the matter.

Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad had said such individuals would provide a detailed description of the kinds of crimes committed by the BN government in the past.

“They are from the system. These are the people who are now critical of the systems, having previously been proponents of it. Having seen its flaws, they are willing to come out in the open to demonise the same system,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

Abdul Kadir also confirmed that both PAS and PKR had “suggested” that he join either party before the national polls, but said that he “had not decided” on joining a political party as of yet.

The former Umno supreme council member said that he has attended one PAS ceramah so far as a guest speaker, and will continue to attend Pakatan Rakyat (PR) ceramahs and programmes.