In a rare moment our prime minister brought some relief to the Malaysians when after about 48 hours after the mob incident at a church, he instructed the police to investigate the action for sedition.

I have always wondered why he had remained silent on many previous ethnic and religious issues blown out of proportion by political backed demonstrations when the seemingly efficient inspector-general of police (IGP) will be the speediest person, with outburst of threats to certain groups while seemingly defending or ignoring the the other group even when they were the aggressors or the demonstrators!

This makes me wonder who the attorney-general (AG) of Malaysia is!

Normally, the police will urge calm with the assurance that proper investigation will be carried out before action is taken. It has always been my opinion that the police act on the advice of the AG. This was how it worked from the days of Independence, or say it was the impression I had.

However, of late we have so-called suspected wrongdoers who are within such a short period of time arrested, very often on a Friday evening and locked up over two nights. Then they are brought to court to be remanded for investigation as though two nights were not enough for investigation! Even one night only in my opinion is unethical. Many of these arrests were made again, in my opinion, without proper investigation!

It is my firm belief that the police force should fully conduct their investigation before any form of arrest. Further, it is unbecoming of the officers to treat especially elected MPs or assemblypersons and some state exco members using double standard of procedures. Certain political leaders are interviewed by phone while others were brought in late at night for similar charges. AG, Sir, do these actions have your sanction?

Under normal circumstances the arrests are made with the approval of the AG. But we are dumbfounded when the AG has been silent on such issues even when the media is blowing its tops. In my opinion the minister and the IGP have the AG to guide them on the interpretation of the law. But, we now have the minister and IGP giving the impression that they would like to impress some unidentified groups!

The PM’s intervention on the Taman Medan incident is a timely welcome sign and it is our wish and hope that the respective officials will be requested to follow procedures and stop taking the law into their hands.

A VAITHILINGAM is former president of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST).