ADUN SPEAKS | A better educated police force need not resist IPCMC
ADUN SPEAKS | On Christmas Day, Dec 25, 2020, four Indian youths, all in their early 20s, were shot dead in Sungai Buloh. They were apparently responsible for a robbery in Rawang.
They refused to stop their car and when one them later came out waving a machete, the police opened fire killing all of them.
According to the police, the four were involved in about 50 robberies in Selangor in December. Three of the individuals were from Desa Mentari, Petaling Jaya, and one was from Kota Damansara. He was said to have come back four months ago after restricted residence in Pahang.
This fatal police shooting and many others in the past raise questions about the conduct of the police force in general.
In the case of the Sungai Buloh fatal shootings, I am not sure whether there is going to be an impartial investigation in the form of an inquest, police investigation, or an investigation by human rights bodies...
ADUN SPEAKS | On Christmas Day, Dec 25, 2020, four Indian youths, all in their early 20s, were shot dead in Sungai Buloh. They were apparently responsible for a robbery in Rawang.
They refused to stop their car and when one them later came out waving a machete, the police opened fire killing all of them.
According to the police, the four were involved in about 50 robberies in Selangor in December. Three of the individuals were from Desa Mentari, Petaling Jaya, and one was from Kota Damansara. He was said to have come back four months ago after restricted residence in Pahang.
This fatal police shooting and many others in the past raise questions about the conduct of the police force in general.
In the case of the Sungai Buloh fatal shootings, I am not sure whether there is going to be an impartial investigation in the form of an inquest, police investigation, or an investigation by human rights bodies.
I hope that these shootings do not end with the acceptance of the police version of what really transpired on that fateful day. It is not that I don’t want to accept the police statement on the matter. An impartial investigation is still needed.
This investigation might corroborate the police version or it might not. But public interest demands an impartial inquiry.
Too many cases of police shootings in the past have been either forgotten or passed off with the acceptance of the police versions.
The lack of an independent inquiry has raised questions about the impartiality of police investigation. The lack of witnesses and the fear of coming forward to testify have hampered investigations.
The absence of the Independent Police Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) should not impede impartial investigation on the fatal shootings of the four persons in Sungai Buloh.
The present Inspector General of Police (IGP) Hamid Bador who earlier approved the implementation of the IPCMC is rather reticent on the matter. With the rise in police shootings of suspected criminals and custodial deaths, the present is the best time for the IPCMC.
I don’t understand why the police have to fear the IPCMC? If the police force is composed of officers who are well educated and professionally inclined, there is nothing to fear in an open and transparent investigation.
This is the purpose of the IPCMC.
As the chairperson of the task force on custodial deaths in Penang, I have seen that the victims of police shootings and custodial deaths are the members of the working class.
The Malaysian police have come a long way. The force as a whole is better educated, more professional, and understand public sentiments on the need for accountability, transparency, and the rule of law.
Given this professionalism, it cannot be understood why the police are resisting the IPCMC, transparency, and higher public accountability.
Yes, the police under extenuating circumstances must act in self-defence. But I am not sure that in all cases of police shootings resulting in deaths, it was not the imperative of self-defence.
The exercise of coercion must be the last resort.
I am sure the standard operating procedure of the police makes it clear that every reasonable effort must be directed at apprehending suspected criminals. The order of shoot to kill must be a last resort. However, unfortunately in Malaysia, the process has been somewhat reversed.
There is also another danger that needs attention.
In our society where race and religion are almost tied to everything, there is the tendency to associate certain members of an ethnic or social group for having a higher propensity or proclivity to engage in crime.
Such a popular perspective devoid of empirical basis must be avoided.
Crime knows no race or religion. Altogether, it is not exclusively a class phenomenon, but the involvement of the deprived classes are higher.
From a sociological perspective, crime is the outcome of social, economic, and political conditions. It cannot be solved by taking draconian measures like eliminating suspected criminals.
In the final analysis, the police cannot have multiple roles of prosecuting, defending, and deciding.
P RAMASAMY is the state assemblyperson for Perai. He is also deputy chief minister (II) of Penang.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.