Gerakan has urged the government to de-politicise the police force by forming a cross-party committee to help find a new formula to tackle the unabated rise in serious crime.

NONE Gerakan secretary-general Mah Siew Keong ( right ) urged the government, NGOs and political parties to close ranks and focus on solutions rather than debate over the alarming problem.

"Violent crimes across the nation not only frighten the rakyat but also scare away investors and tourists.

"The current conundrum necessitates that we are in need of a cross-party committee comprising of all relevant stakeholders to mount a fight back as a united team," Mah said in a press release today.

So far, he noted that authorities, NGOs and the public appear at odds over the possible methods or approaches to tackle this problem effectively.

He suggested that the cross-party committee on crime could be made answerable to a parliamentary select committee, and all parties could then work out their disagreements.

NONE He was responding to the call by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi ( left ) for the return of tougher laws, including that similar to the repealed Emergency Ordinance (EO), which would give the police power to detain without trial.

However, opposition parties such as the DAP has argued that the police force must be first divorced from Umno before serious crime can be tackled.

 

NGOs, meanwhile, expressed worry that the return of the EO would spell human rights violations in Malaysia.

Mah, in his statement, said he believed that the committee will be "the answer to overcome the differences of opinion among the parties involved” and this will lead to a more united and effective effort in fighting crime.