I refer to the recent murder of A Kugan while under police custody and the statement by Home Minster Syed Hamid urging the people not to make hero out of criminals. First of all, who is Syed Hamid Albar to claim that Kugan is a criminal?

Don’t we have a justice system in Malaysia where people are judged fairly in trials based on evidence? Don’t we have courts with judges who judge cases based on evidence to deduce whether a person is guilty or not? Or has Syed Hamid, like all Malaysians, lost confidence in our judiciary?

Anyway, according to the police, Kugan was a suspected luxury car thief. Well, I have my doubts. First of all, you need a professional to steal luxury cars as they come with high-tech security systems. How could a 22-year-old dropout without any technical knowhow have been an expert in luxury car theft? If he was, he was a genius.

Secondly, where are the cars? According to the police, Kugan led them to where the stolen cars were kept. However, police have so far kept mum on the issue. Why have they not provided the public with an explanation?

I read sometime back that luxury car theft syndicates do not store stolen cars but ship them immediately to neighbouring countries to escape detection. If indeed Kugan was involved in such a syndicate, why were the cars in storage? We need answers to these questions.

The third question is: Did Kugan act alone? It doesn’t make sense that someone could be a car thief and not be part of a syndicate. Where are his accomplices? Why was only Kugan arrested?

I also strongly believe that Kugan’s family lawyers must investigate his arrest to ascertain if proper procedures were adhered to. Mustn’t a suspect be produced before a magistrate within 24-hours of arrest?

Isn’t written approval from a magistrate required for further detention? Kugan, if indeed you were a car thief, you are still a better human being than the people who brutally took your life and those who protect them.

Rest in peace and I hope when the perpetrators and their protectors come before God, they will be punished rightfully.

However much I disagree with Syed Hamid, I agree with him that we should not turn this barbaric incident into a racial issue. The issue here is abuse of power by those in inform in a civilised society.