I refer to the Malaysiakini report Suspected robbers shot dead in Taiping . Someone who wishes to remain anonymous also pointed me here to for information regarding these two brothers shot dead, apparently by police. There are a number of issues I need to address based on the above.

First, the facial wounds are more likely due to a fragment of a bullet that hit the brother's car or fragment of the brother's car created by impact of a bullet. Second, there were eyewitnesses to the shooting who reported the sequence of events, including a number of policemen gathering in the area beforehand.

The eyewitnesses said the brother's car was later blocked by two other vehicles and people then alighted from a third vehicle and shot the brothers. This was apparently no spur of the moment shooting but rather a premeditated shooting.

There should be an investigation of the shooting that includes an autopsy of the brothers and matching of any bullets recovered from the brothers, their car and the scene, to the weapons used and the persons who fired them.

Why were the brothers shot? Where the police acting out a scenario? Are the police using people for target practice? Do the police want to see how modern small arms fire devastates the human body? Are the police trying to intimidate people to make them docile?

Is the shooting part of a plan to desensitise the police to killing human beings, for the police to be prepared to shoot people if the people finally get so fed-up that they take to the streets in a ‘people power’ movement?

Whatever the motive of the police, the matter raises doubts in the people's minds about the police. The people feel insecure, they don't know if they, too. will be shot.  

Security and the perception of security are important to attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Malaysia. A negative perception will have a negative influence on FDI. If foreign corporations doubt the Malaysian police, the companies will not want to set up operations in Malaysia, as they would fear for the safety of their employees.

Employees are not easily replaceable and companies have a lot invested in their employees.

Companies consider the security situation, the judicial system, the level of corruption etc, before committing to setting up operations in a country.

Companies' perception of Malaysia is not based only on smiling government officials saying how ‘great’ Malaysia is or how the companies will get tax waivers, etc. Companies conduct extensive due diligence exercises when seeking foreign locations for investment, manufacturing, university twinning etc.

Can Malaysia really compete with other countries to get FDI, to get the companies to come to Malaysia?

The police are really doing themselves a great disservice in the long run. Their behaviour has a negative influence on the economy through the emigration of Malaysians, reduced FDI, etc.

If the police were to behave professionally, public and foreign confidence in Malaysia would increase, the economic growth would increase, Malaysia would become vastly more wealthy and police salaries could be sky-high compared to how they are now.

If the police continue to act unprofessionally, they are committing themselves to forever affording  only a roti canai and a teh tarik. If they truly reform and behave as proper police behave, then they will become able to afford much more.