Police mayhem in Malaysia

Firstly, the excessive police force and violence at yesterday peaceful candlelight vigil to campaign for “No to ISA” and mark the first anniversary BERSIH campaign for free, fair and clean elections must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

It shows that the police has completely forgotten the important recommendation of the Royal Police Commission that the police force should become an efficient, professional, incorruptible world-class police service with three priority objectives – to keep crime low, eradicate corruption and respect human rights.

If the Royal Police Commission recommendations had been taken seriously, the shameful and disgraceful episode in Petaling Jaya yesterday, where some 23 people were arrested including DAP MP for Petaling Jaya Utara Tony Pua, DAP Selangor State Exco Ronnie Liu and DAP Selangor State Assemblyman for Kampong Tunku Lau Weng San would not have happened.

Why is the massive deployment of police personnel to break up a peaceful gathering of Malaysians to campaign for freedom, justice and democracy by excessive police force and violence continue to be a greater priority and more important police agenda than the mobilization of police personnel to keep crime low and restore to Malaysians, tourists and investors their fundamental right and freedom to be safe from crime and the fear of crime?

The police under Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan has got the police priorities all wrong and misplaced, and this has been illustrated in a most outrageous manner by what happened in the 24 hours yesterday – on the one hand, excessive police violence to arrest 23 peaceful celebrants of freedom, including elected representatives in PJ while total police impotence in a Mat Rempit mob rampage in Jalan Loke Yew, KL beating four people unconscious as if Malaysia is a broken-down fourth-world failed state!

What has Musa to say about the disgraceful mayhem at Jalan Loke Yew in the early hours of yesterday morning where Mat Rempit mob rule imposed a regime of sheer lawlessness without any police presence or intervention?

I am shocked that Musa could still prattle about “the security of the country was very much under control” under his charge, when the reverse is the case – in a special interview with the Star today. “Ensuring men in blue won’t be spent force” – Star)

Musa said that the crime rate had increased to 209,559 last year and he is very proud that the figure is expected to remain almost the same this year.

This is like a student who had scored F7 for a subject in an examination last year and very proud that he is still getting F7 this year!

Musa is setting a bad example for the entire police force in completely forgetting about the Royal Police Commission Report to reduce the crime index.

In its report in May 2005, the Royal Police Commission found that it was completely unacceptable that there had been a “dramatic” 29 per cent increase in the incidence of crime from 121,176 cases in 1997 to 156,455 cases in 2004, and recommended “As an immediate measure, PDRM should target a minimum of 20 per cent decrease in the number of crimes committed for each category within 12 months”.

If the Royal Police Commission’s recommendation of a minimum 20 per cent decrease in crimes within 12 months of its Report had been achieved, then the 156,455 crime incidence in 2004 should have declined to 125,164 cases in 2005.

Instead, under Musa’s leadership, the police fought a losing war against the rising crime index, which had worsened from 156,315 cases in 2003 to break the 200,000 barrier in 2007 – a sharp rise of some 34% in the past four years.

Instead of saying sorry to Malaysians for the failure of the police under his leadership to meet the target set by the Royal Police Commission, we have the IGP preening himself with pride that the crime index this year is likely to be the same with those of last year, breaking the 200,000 barrier!

I had called for Musa Hassan resignation as IGP in Parliament last month and I reiterate my call, as he has ceased to be a professional policeman dedicated to the three objectives set out by the Royal Police Commission for the police force – to keep crime low, to eradicate corruption in the police force and to respect human rights.

Lim Kit Siang