Saifuddin evades question on whether MACC probed over Ling's abduction

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has sidestepped a parliamentary question on whether MACC had been investigated over the abduction of Pamela Ling in April.

In a written reply to Ramkarpal Singh’s (Harapan-Bukit Gelugor) question, the minister said the police probe into Ling’s case was still ongoing, without addressing whether MACC was also being investigated or otherwise.

“The police have carried out an investigation into the missing case of Pamela Ling under Section 365 of the Penal Code (the offence of kidnapping or abduction with the intent to wrongfully confine a person).

“The investigation officer is still working to complete the investigation paper and several other documents before submitting them to the deputy public prosecutor for further instructions.

“The ministry wishes to make it clear that the police are always committed to investigating any missing persons or abduction cases according to its standard operating procedures and existing laws.

“Police are also working closely with other law enforcement agencies like MACC whenever necessary,” he said.

In Parliament last week, Ramkarpal sought the minister to update the Dewan Rakyat on Ling's disappearance and asked if authorities were also investigating the anti-graft agency.

Ling’s abduction

Ling was abducted near the MACC headquarters while on her way to meet investigators to facilitate a money laundering probe on April 9.

Earlier in May, former Kuala Lumpur police chief Rusdi Isa said investigators had obtained CCTV recordings from the scene, which showed at least eight individuals involved, including two who wore police vests.

Ling’s lawyer, N Sivananthan, had also urged police to release the CCTV footage of her abduction and images of her assailants as an appeal for the public’s help to identify the kidnappers.

While police had arrested Ling’s husband, Malaysian businessperson Thomas Hah Tiing Siu, to facilitate their probe, he was released a day later after the Putrajaya court denied the police’s application for a remand order.

Police have since said that no political links were found in Ling’s abduction.

Sin Chew case

In another response, Saifuddin defended the police’s actions against two Sin Chew Daily editors when investigating a blunder in printing an illustration that featured the Jalur Gemilang.

According to the minister, police had acted within the law when they detained and investigated the journalists.

"...(the actions) were based on existing laws under Section 3(1)(c) of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act 1963; Section 4(1)(b) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA), and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

"The police have always carried out their duties in a professional and independent manner without any political influence," he said in a written reply to a parliamentary question posed by Lim Lip Eng (Harapan-Kepong).

Saifuddin, however, did not address Lim's question on why the police did not take a similar action when the authorities were investigating flag blunders involving the Education Ministry and a PAS programme.

The DAP representative also questioned the minister why there were double standards in how police treated flag gaffe cases.

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