Election reform pressure group Bersih is strongly urging Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to sack Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and the Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan over the arrest of five lawyers.

“Bersih calls upon Najib to immediately remove Hishammuddin from his Home Affairs portfolio if the minister refuses to resign,” said Bersih in a statement yesterday.

bar council lawyers protest at jalan duta court detained 5 lawyer at brickfields police station 080509 03 Last Friday, the emergency general meeting of the Bar Council passed a resolution demanding Hishammuddin and Musa’s resign over the arrest of five lawyers at the Brickfields police station.

On May 7, the five lawyers were arrested at the Brickfields police station while trying to provide legal aid to several detainees who were arrested earlier for allegedly participating in an illegal assembly.

Hishammuddin untenable as home minister

Bersih said that it was wrong for the police to try and turn a lawyer’s duty into a criminal act.

black shirt individuals arrested by policein perak on 070509 02 In addition to this incident, Bersih said police actions during the May 7 state assembly sitting, which saw more than 60 people arrested, was another example of why Hishammuddin was untenable as home minister.

“Like the Perak coup, Hishammuddin’s abysmal and misjudged performance is now a liability to (Najib’s) new cabinet,” read the statement.

Bersih also called on Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Dr Koh Tsu Koon, to either defend Hishammuddin or recommend for his removal.

“Koh’s portfolio in quality control (of ministers) would be pointless if he does not respond to the crisis, but produces a KPI (key performance index) only after months of disastrous ministerial incompetence,” added Bersih.