The public prosecutor will not hesitate to act against any individual including police officers if there is proof and evidence of wrongdoings, said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today.

However, he said the prosecution against the individual would only be made when the public prosecutor was satisfied that there was enough and strong evidence to prove an offence in court.

According to Bernama , Abdullah said this in a written reply to M Kula Segaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat) at the Dewan Rakyat.

Kula Segaran ( right ) had asked the premier why no prosecution was made against police personnel by the attorney-general relating to deaths in-detention, cases whereby members of the public were shot dead by the police and other offences involving police personnel.

Abdullah said for custodial deaths, a directive had been issued by the public prosecutor to bring the matter before the magistrate for an investigation so that an inquest can be made.

If the decision of the magistrate showed that any of the officers or police force had breached the law, then appropriate action would be taken by the public prosecutor against those involved, he added.

The police have come into the spotlight following a spate of alleged police abuse reports over the past month.

As for custodial deaths and fatal shooting cases, numerous organisations have accused the police of beating detainees to death and being trigger happy.

The police have consistently denied these charges.

Medical specialists

In an unrelated development, the Dewan Rakyat was told that the programme to draw Malaysian medical specialists overseas to return and serve in this country had received a cool response despite the government offering them various incentives.

Replying Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail (BN-Gombak), Health Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Lee Kah Choon said that in view of this, the government would continue with its effort to get them to return.

On the incentives, he said they would among others be exempted from the three-year compulsory service and paying income tax.

They would also be given two import permits to bring back vehicles they had brought overseas and their non-Malaysian spouses would be granted permanent resident status, he added