Eight months have passed since the point-blank shooting of labourer Mohd Ridzuan Mat Nor - allegedly by an army personnel - and but the authorities have yet to act thus far.

Disturbed by this lack of progress, Keadilan Youth have submitted a reminder in the form of a memorandum to the Inspector-General of Police Bakri Omar urging him to expedite investigations.

The memorandum questions why the soldier who allegedly shot Ridzuan remains a free man and why Ridzuan was remanded by the police for 12 days after the incident on Dec 5 last year.

In his complaint to the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), Ridzuan claimed he and a friend were walking past an army supply depot near Jalan Kuching in Kuala Lumpur at about 5am when they stumbled upon telephone wires and attempted to collect it for scrap.

Two individuals whom he described as army personnel then showed up and fired three shots prompting them to flee for their lives.

He claimed that the two gunmen caught up with him and shot him in the left leg near the knee. This was followed by another two shots to his right leg, shattering his bones.

Before the shooting, 25-year-old Ridzuan was earning RM30 a day and was the sole breadwinner for his family besides supporting his ailing father.

Legal action next

Contacted today, Keadilan Youth vice-chief S Manikavasagam said efforts had been made to discuss the matter with top police officials but his letters on the matter went unheeded. This prompted him to lead a delegation to police headquarters Bukit Aman yesterday to hand over the memorandum.

They were however unable to meet with any senior police officers.

Manikavasagam said that he would return to Bukit Aman in two weeks time for answers as the allegations made by Ridzuan were serious. He added that if no action was taken against the alleged assailants, the image of the police and the army would be severely dented.

Ridzuan's lawyer N Surendren said his client was seriously contemplating taking legal action against those involved in the shooting if the authorities ignore the case.

"The police have been sitting on it since December. We want answers in two weeks, failing which we will take action against the police for among others, dereliction of duty," he said when contacted today.

He adds that the lengthy delay in the investigations was yet another reason why the Independent Police Misconduct and Complaints Commission (IPCMC) needed to be established.