Instruction to destroy camp not meant to erase evidence, says ex-cop
WANG KELIAN RCI | Perlis deputy police chief Md Zukir Md Isa today stressed that his instruction to have the human trafficking camp in Wang Kelian cleared was not to eliminate evidence, but instead to prevent it from being used by undocumented migrants in the future.
The retired cop is the 13th witness to testify at the Wang Kelian Royal Commission Inquiry in Putrajaya, which entered its fifth day today...
WANG KELIAN RCI | Perlis deputy police chief Md Zukir Md Isa today stressed that his instruction to have the human trafficking camp in Wang Kelian cleared was not to eliminate evidence, but to prevent it from being used by undocumented migrants in the future.
The retired cop is the 13th witness to testify at the Wang Kelian Royal Commission of Inquiry in Putrajaya, which entered its fifth day today.
"The instruction was not to clear the camp overall, but only some parts of it. I did not intend to destroy the evidence.
"I only asked to clear some parts such as the canvas covering the camp shelters (kanvas bahagian pelindung) and the water storage. The intention was to ensure that they were not to be used again," he said.
On March 27, the Human Rights Commission and the NGO Fortify Rights in their report stated that the clearing of the camp had reduced the amount of evidence that could be used to facilitate investigations.
The report also raised the issue of the four-month delay in exhuming bodies at the site, which complicated forensic experts' efforts to ascertain the causes of death.
Last Thursday, the commander of the General Operations Force Company B 3rd Battalion Northern Brigade MA Joeking told the inquiry that the instruction to destroy the camp and graves had come from Zukir in a meeting before the operation commenced.
Joeking added that before the decision was made, there was another discussion held by Zukir without his presence.
Zukir today explained that his first instruction was to examine the grounds that appeared to be gravesites near the camp.
"Towards the end of my instruction, I was asked about the temporary camps.
"I asked to examine the grave-like structure and then to destroy the camp," he said, adding that he felt Joeking did not conduct the investigation thoroughly.
On the delay in the investigation, Zukir admitted that there was no coordination between police personnel during the preliminary investigation.
He said Bukit Aman had its own reasons on why the investigation was not expedited.
"As far as I can remember, during a media conference by the former inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar, when asked on why police were slow in their action, he said that they needed more time to inspect the area."
In the previous hearing, a former cop told that he was advised against conducting operations in the area, while another witness said he was instructed to halt investigations after the discovery of the first body at the peak of Bukit Wang Burma on March 6, 2015.
In May 2015, some 139 graves containing 106 skeletal remains – believed to be of Rohingya migrants – along with 28 abandoned human trafficking camps on Bukit Wang Burma, were discovered in Wang Kelian.
An RCI into the matter was formed earlier this year, headed by former chief justice Ariffin Zakaria.
He is being assisted by former inspector-general of police Norian Mai, along with five commissioners – former ambassador to Thailand Nazirah Hussin, former Public Accounts Committee deputy chairperson Tan Seng Giaw, former chief prosecutor Noorbahri Baharuddin, former diplomat Razali Ismail, and former head of research at the Attorney-General’s Chambers Junaidah Abdul Rahman.
The inquiry has been given until September this year to prepare its report.
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