PUTRAJAYA: Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has admitted he was the one featured in a leaked audio clip discussing top police appointments.
He said he had not committed any wrongdoing and that the guilty parties were those who recorded his conversation with "a very important person".
"I've done nothing wrong. What was the offence? The problem is someone taped my conversation with another person. That is wrong. What I did wasn't wrong. I've said many times, even if you hear it (the audio clip), what was wrong in that?
"I only asked the IGP (inspector-general of police) to suggest a few names to Tuanku (Yang di-Pertuan Agong). Is that wrong?"
Hamzah was speaking after presenting a letter of appointment to Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani as the next IGP here yesterday.
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had urged police to investigate the authenticity of the audio clip, which has been widely circulated on social media. Hamzah in the clip was heard allegedly discussing appointing orang kita (our people) as senior police officers.
Hamzah yesterday said the conversation took place last year.
Asked whether he would lodge a police report on the matter, he said there was no need as he had committed no wrong.
"I was telling a very important person something. There's nothing wrong with that.
"Palace authorities had asked about the subject and we were about to send the details. I had told the IGP that we would send a few names," he said.
He said as home minister, he would use other methods to find out who had leaked the audio clip.
Commenting on claims that he was interfering in the appointment of senior police officers, Hamzah said such appointments were within his capacity as the chairman of the Police Commission.
"I'm the commission chairman. The commission is the highest authority that determines the functions of police officers.
"What would be an offence is if I were to do something beyond my job scope."