Pakatan Rakyat leaders slammed the Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan for trying to blame the August 1 giant anti-ISA rally on them, while conveniently closing an eye to his own officers’ acts of brutality against the protesters including many innocent children.
“Is Musa offering the “heads” of the Pakatan Rakyat leaders from PKR, PAS and DAP to the Prime Minister Najib Razak and the Barisan Nasional government in exchange for another renewal as IGP in September?,” asked DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.
Top Pakatan leaders, including Kit Siang, PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim and PAS president Hadi Awang have been calling on the government not to renew the IGP’s contract due to end in September.
This has infuriated the controversial top cop. Musa told a press conference on Tuesday that 11 Pakatan Rakyat politicians will be questioned over their involvement in the rally.
“We gave the public ample of warning not to participate in rallies as it would be a public nuisance,” Musa said.
But even as he uttered those words, human rights watchdog Suaram lodged a police report against him for gross violation of civil rights. Suaram coordinator Enalini Devi Elumalai and six other members made the report at the Dang Wangi police headquarters.
And Suaram is but one of the hundreds of civil society leaders, including the Bar Council, who have lambasted Musa and his officers for unnecessary brute force. Indeed their high-handedness has been pinpointed as the main provocation for the scores of scuffles that erupted throughout the city centre.
Also drawing fire was their indiscriminate use of tear gas and chemical-laced water without any consideration of public health and safety.
Said Shamsul Iskandar Akin, PKR Youth Chief: “The police action was totally unnecessary. It breaches the codes of democracy and human rights. The protesters only wanted to submit a memorandum to the Agong. The brutality inflicted by the cops clearly shows that the Prime Minister Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia slogan are merely hollow words.”
Still picking on kids
In particular, attempts by the police to pick on children incurred public wrath.
While human rights lawyers and youth NGOs managed to fight off remand attempts on two teenagers aged 16 and 13, another 16-year old Faizudin Hamzah was less fortunate.
Faizudin, who was picked up late on Friday night from the central bus depot, was on his way to see his uncle in Kajang. Nevertheless, the police threw him into an adult lock-up for three day, only releasing him on bail on Monday, in complete disregard for children’s rights.
But Musa showed neither remorse nor inclination for self-review. Instead he has heaped the blame on the parents.
“I have said when commenting on illegal rallies before that action can be taken against parents if they are found exploiting their children,” the IGP said.
He wants the Attorney-General to charge the parents of the 44 juveniles arrested in Saturday’s rally.
“Political persecution by the ruling elite is already at an all-time high. Is it now reaching a new low with underaged children victimised for Barisan Nasional’s political gain?,” asked Bukit Lanjan assemblywoman Elizabeth Wong.
“Public gatherings are a constitutional right of all Malaysians. The gathering last Saturday was a peaceful demonstration attended by ordinary citizens from all walks of life who felt compelled to stand against the draconian ISA.”
Tens of thousands had marched to protest the continuance of the archaic and oppressive Internal Security Act, a law used frequently by the Umno-BN government to jail dissenters and political rivals without trial for indefinite periods of time.
News reports have put the number of demonstrators at 20,000 but it is believed to have been much higher. Of this figure, the police have said they arrested 589 people, of whom 40 were women and 44 were youths aged below 18.
Can 44 minors create more chaos than the 5,000-odd police personnel deployed throughout the city and authorised to swing their batons, push and shove, punch and slap at will that dark, dark Saturday?
Such an unbalanced view can only indicate a similarly unhinged state of mind. No doubt about it – it is indeed time that Musa went and the furthest away from Malaysian shores, the better and the safer it would be for the other people living in this country.
“Is Musa offering the “heads” of the Pakatan Rakyat leaders from PKR, PAS and DAP to the Prime Minister Najib Razak and the Barisan Nasional government in exchange for another renewal as IGP in September?,” asked DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.
Top Pakatan leaders, including Kit Siang, PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim and PAS president Hadi Awang have been calling on the government not to renew the IGP’s contract due to end in September.
This has infuriated the controversial top cop. Musa told a press conference on Tuesday that 11 Pakatan Rakyat politicians will be questioned over their involvement in the rally.
“We gave the public ample of warning not to participate in rallies as it would be a public nuisance,” Musa said.
But even as he uttered those words, human rights watchdog Suaram lodged a police report against him for gross violation of civil rights. Suaram coordinator Enalini Devi Elumalai and six other members made the report at the Dang Wangi police headquarters.
And Suaram is but one of the hundreds of civil society leaders, including the Bar Council, who have lambasted Musa and his officers for unnecessary brute force. Indeed their high-handedness has been pinpointed as the main provocation for the scores of scuffles that erupted throughout the city centre.
Also drawing fire was their indiscriminate use of tear gas and chemical-laced water without any consideration of public health and safety.
Said Shamsul Iskandar Akin, PKR Youth Chief: “The police action was totally unnecessary. It breaches the codes of democracy and human rights. The protesters only wanted to submit a memorandum to the Agong. The brutality inflicted by the cops clearly shows that the Prime Minister Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia slogan are merely hollow words.”
Still picking on kids
In particular, attempts by the police to pick on children incurred public wrath.
While human rights lawyers and youth NGOs managed to fight off remand attempts on two teenagers aged 16 and 13, another 16-year old Faizudin Hamzah was less fortunate.
Faizudin, who was picked up late on Friday night from the central bus depot, was on his way to see his uncle in Kajang. Nevertheless, the police threw him into an adult lock-up for three day, only releasing him on bail on Monday, in complete disregard for children’s rights.
But Musa showed neither remorse nor inclination for self-review. Instead he has heaped the blame on the parents.
“I have said when commenting on illegal rallies before that action can be taken against parents if they are found exploiting their children,” the IGP said.
He wants the Attorney-General to charge the parents of the 44 juveniles arrested in Saturday’s rally.
“Political persecution by the ruling elite is already at an all-time high. Is it now reaching a new low with underaged children victimised for Barisan Nasional’s political gain?,” asked Bukit Lanjan assemblywoman Elizabeth Wong.
“Public gatherings are a constitutional right of all Malaysians. The gathering last Saturday was a peaceful demonstration attended by ordinary citizens from all walks of life who felt compelled to stand against the draconian ISA.”
Tens of thousands had marched to protest the continuance of the archaic and oppressive Internal Security Act, a law used frequently by the Umno-BN government to jail dissenters and political rivals without trial for indefinite periods of time.
News reports have put the number of demonstrators at 20,000 but it is believed to have been much higher. Of this figure, the police have said they arrested 589 people, of whom 40 were women and 44 were youths aged below 18.
Can 44 minors create more chaos than the 5,000-odd police personnel deployed throughout the city and authorised to swing their batons, push and shove, punch and slap at will that dark, dark Saturday?
Such an unbalanced view can only indicate a similarly unhinged state of mind. No doubt about it – it is indeed time that Musa went and the furthest away from Malaysian shores, the better and the safer it would be for the other people living in this country.
SK
05/08/09
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