your say 'The Home Ministry is just as culpable as the police for allowing these abuses to continue.'

 

 

Be fair to police, says Hishammuddin

Kama Mustaffa: Hishammuddin Hussein, if you had taken a serious pro-active stance on the case of Norizan Salleh, Teoh Beng Hock and A Kugan, this would not have happened.

You brushed these cases aside, and you continue to do it in this case. We are sick and tired of your continuous excuses. Those who continually give excuses are either lazy or just plain incompetent. There is nothing in between.

We deserve better ministers and better leadership. And we deserve a better IGP (inspector-general of police).

Bozuka: This is the consequences we have to face. We were silent on all the other shootings. We believe the police were right and those shot dead were criminals . In this case, no one believes the police.

The public should be more matured and question the police and the Home Ministry without discrimination. If we have done this before perhaps Aminulrasyid Amzah could have been alive today.

Tan Kian Khim: Perhaps Hishammuddin would be of a different opinion if it was his own son that had his head shot by an indiscriminate barrage of police gunfire, or if it was his son that had fallen from the 14th floor of the MACC headquarters, or being beaten to death inside a police lock-up.

Not once has Hishammuddin ever come up with an intelligent statement about the gross abuses, corruption and incompetence of the Malaysian police force, MACC and other so-called 'law-enforcement' agencies. The Home Ministry is just as culpable as the police for allowing these abuses to continue.

Sentinel: Somehow this Hishammuddin never fails to disappoint me. I knew he would come out and say something stupid, and he did exactly that today.

Pasupathy Kanagasaby: Please remind the home minister that the police are always armed and the public are not. Ask him whether he has ever driven a car when he had no licence? We have all done this, and thanks be to God that we never encountered trigger-happy police officers.

Myop101: Hishamuddin, please don't blow things out of proportion. From what we have read, we noted your officers seemed to be trigger-happy in firing more than 20 shots at a car occupied then by two unarmed teenagers. who would not be upset?

A kid is now dead - these officers should have given him a chance to walk out of the car and surrender for whatever earlier crime, if any, he has committed. We are very worried, not just for our safety when we walk on the streets or drive on roads but also for our loves ones when they could be shot by those entrusted to protect them.

Today it is a kid, tomorrow it can be just about anyone including our grannies and grandpas.

Loyal Malaysian: There have been too many shooting deaths incidents where the standard story is that the purported criminals charge at the police with parangs or were shooting at them. But they were all mowed down.

Can't they have been immobilised especially those with parangs? Why must the police act as the judge, jury and executioner?There must also be fairness even for criminals.

Tanteo: Home Minister, how would you know people do not get angry when police personnel are killed? A life is a life. If past actions of yours are of any guide, you seem to be pandering to the PDRM.

I would not wait with bated breadth the outcome of the so-called investigations/inquiries. We all know what the results will be. It would be better for the minister to keep mum if he does not have anything sensible to say.

Azmil Tayeb: Hishammuddin is talking unprofessionally as a minister. This is not a chicken-and-egg stuff of argument. The police, like all those in dangerous professions, have an occupational hazard in their duties.

The victim a schoolboy. Why shoot to kill instead of capturing him? He speed off because he knows he is quilty without a licence to drive. Such simple offence involving a boy has to be shot?

Sjmc: I don't doubt that the investigation will now be done properly. The victim in this case is a nephew of Maybank Investment Bank CEO. If the police play fire with this, a lot of heads will roll. The unfortunate patrol man will be made the scapegoat and will be forced to pay the price for it.

The focus should also be on the operating procedures and training methods for the force as I think they are not being trained properly on threat assessment hence their quick reaction to pull out the gun for anything that is perceived to be dangerous.

SMC77: With such a dubious track record over the years in the police force, it is really hard for any right-minded person to put up a statement to praise the police. Just like nobody will praise Hitler for his accomplishment during WWII.

Artchan: Hey Hisham, tell us how many were shot by police and how many police were shot?

 


The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only Malaysiakini subscribers can post comments. Over the past six months, Malaysiakinians have posted 50,000 comments. Be part of the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now .