It is an abuse of the child’s basic human rights when the present IGP, Khalid Abu Bakar, made a nonsensical statement saying that the police can query a child even without the presence of the parents.

As parents, we would not have been driven up the wall until Khalid made such a statement not befitting of a senior cop. What does he think he is? A big bully in blue uniform, who say things without going through the grey matter, when he know very well that a statement of this nature would definitely draw anger from society?

Even adults have a right to a lawyer when being questioned by the police, what more a child! In fact, when a child is supposed to be a key witness, the parents or guardians have the right to turn down any request by the police to stand as a witness in court, especially if he has gone through a great deal of trauma. What’s needed for the child is in fact help from a psychologist, and certainly Khalid’s men would not be welcomed into the child’s private life!

It is therefore moronic for an IGP to speak with such arrogance. I appeal to the Prime Minister, Najib Abdul Razak, to immediately haul up the IGP for a reprimand, instead of allowing him to set such a bad precedent in the name of justice, unless of course, Najib himself has no guts to speak up.

In my opinion, if the child cannot even have the parents with them when being questioned by the police, would that not constitute child abuse then? With the authority that has been vested on the police, are we now allowing them to use it against innocent children by asking them questions that they would prefer not to answer?

What if they were to confess a crime on behalf of their parents under coercion? Do the police then take the evidence to court? Can a child’s statement be admissible in court? If not, the IGP has erred in the course of public service.

He should immediately resign or retract his statement, or he and the force that he commands will just lose the respect of the people.