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Rakyat can no longer tolerate death in custody
Published:  May 25, 2013 11:21 AM
Updated: Jun 2, 2013 12:04 AM

YOURSAY 'Go catch N Dhamendran's murderers. Murder, you can tolerate? Peaceful candlelight vigils, you cannot tolerate?'

KL police chief: Cops can no longer tolerate vigils

your say Newday: Nothing much has changed over the years from one IGP (inspector-general of police) to the next.

Peaceful vigils and public assemblies are frowned upon and acted against very promptly but mat rempits, politically-sponsored gangster-like activities against NGOs and political opponents are usually left untouched.

New Home Minister Zahid Hamidi says that he has not instructed the police to act against political opponents and whatever actions taken are left to the police. If that is the case, the police are doing this out of old habits or an ingrained need to gain political favour.

It's time for the police force to return to professionalism and act without fear or favour to regain public trust and respect.

Borg Kinaulu: Are the following tolerated by the PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police)?

Police brutality, even in public, with impunity; frequent suspicious deaths in custody; playing with statistical numbers instead of working toward actual performance improvement; police harassment of Pakatan Rakyat politicians and supporters; Umno's thuggery, even violence; physical torture during interrogation; summary dismissal of allegation of misconducts by police; poor discipline in the police force; corruption in the police force; racist practices in the police force; lack of professionalism in the police force; low crime solving rate; low trust by the public due to poor track record of the police force; and the subsequent low morale within the force due to its poor public image; PDRM's refusal to progress with the expectations of the people; and the use of PDRM resources for political espionage.

Certainly, there are good men in PDRM, and perhaps they have to tolerate more rubbish than the average Joes on the street because they live with it on a daily basis.

Ren Ai: Pay heed to police advice. Once the unexpected happens, you can't say they didn't warn you. The home minister is out for vengeance, it seems. So be warned.

When they can no longer tolerate vigils, they are beginning to get impatient. And impatience is dangerous.

Multi Racial: This is nonsense. Candlelight vigils are peaceful demonstrations. Threat to catch those who attend will not deter us at all. Instead more will attend because of the unfair and double standard practice by the police.

There is no credibility at all with the new home minister and new IGP. If they think they can use threat against Malaysians for merely exercising their right to protest, then they are not fit to be there in the first place.

Ferdtan: "I guarantee to his family members and society at large that the police will handle this investigation transparently and will not defend police officers who had arrested and questioned the victim," said Kuala Lumpur CPO Mohmad Salleh on the probe on Dhamendran's death.

Nice words but we have heard that before when Teoh Beng Hock, custom officer Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed, A Kugan and the security guard C Sugumaran (whose body after so many months still waiting for second post-mortem) died.

So what had happened to the guarantees in the past? Sadly, the words of a police officer is as good, possibly worse, than a politician. To the public, that is the level of trust we have in our enforcement institution.

Anon : I thought PRDM is the governmental department charged with the regulation and control of the affairs of the community, established chiefly to uphold law and order, prevent and detect crime.

So far, has the peaceful candlelight vigils unduly violated the effectiveness of PRDM in the maintenance of law and order and matters affecting the public welfare?

Has not the general public complained more of the ineffectiveness (or rather the inability) of PRDM in combating crimes than any inconvenience caused by the rallies conducted thus far?

Unfortunately, our PRDM gives people's the impression that they are more interested and keen in dealing with matters related to politics.

Please, focus your resources in combating crimes to protect the rakyat's safety and belongings. PRDM is not meant to be an instrument to any political party but is supposed to be loyal to the king, the nation and the people.

Hmmmmmmmm: People have vigils because they don't trust the police to act fairly. If you don't believe this, can the KL CPO himself in all honesty say that he and his police force have not been practising selective prosecution?

So please don't try to come up with more justifications. You are actually part of the problem.

Toffeesturn: When people are taken into your custody die, you are responsible, and yet for the countless detainees who have died in your custody, you have placed the blame elsewhere. Perhaps you should adopt some of Dr Mahathir Mohamad's tactics and blame Anwar Ibrahim for it.

If a suspect is arrested, interrogate him by all means - investigate his alleged crime, charge him to the fullest extent of the law, but stop taking the law into your own hands as seems to be the case here.

How does one explain all this? Instead of investigating the people who plan and carry out peaceful assemblies, bring these murderers to face justice, and they appear to be from among your ranks.

Bianca Lee: As Malaysians, we have lost our voice and even our human rights have been violated. When a society is oppressed for far too long, people will take to the streets.

Who doesn't know we should seek the proper legal channel? Who will the police listen to? Who will the judge listen to?

The police threats and arrests are not going to deter the people. It's a shame that Malaysia has come to this.

NewMalaysia: What kind of police chief cannot tolerate people holding a candle but has no problem with torture and death in police custody? How can the people respect such a police chief?

He can't even get his own house in order yet still have time to criticise peaceful gatherings? Go fight crime and don't waste our tax money playing politics and stopping the people from exercising their right.

Mushiro: Hardly three nights of vigils and the cops already cannot tolerate the vigils demanding for democratic rights for student activist Adam Adli.

Yet the cops can tolerate all the seditious statements by Ibrahim Ali, Zulkifli Noordin and Mohd Noor Abdullah. The cops can tolerate the thugs who disrupt peaceful vigils and ceramah.

The cops can tolerate the deaths of Indians in custody. The cops can tolerate the many crimes and robberies that are rampant in housing estates until residents have to employ their own security guards. And the cops can tolerate any bullshit from Umno.

Telestai!: A candlelight vigil is a peaceful gathering of people in support of a cause. So, Kuala Lumpur CPO Mohmad Salleh, pray tell which part of a candlelight vigil is unhealthy? Is it because it pricks your conscience or is it a fire hazard?

Lexicon: Go catch Dhamendran's murderers and hang them out to dry. Murder, you can tolerate? Peaceful candlelight vigils, you cannot tolerate?

If you insist on politically motivated arrests, then be prepared for protests from the people.


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