Questions have been raised as to why the peaceful gathering in Kuala Lumpur last Sunday turned unruly, when similar gatherings all over the states the previous day with the same purpose of presenting a memorandum to the Rulers concerning Anwar Ibrahim’s arsenic poisoning went off peacefully - whether this was caused by police agent provocateurs or demonstrators.
I have written to the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Norian Mai on behalf of leaders of Parti Keadilan Nasional, DAP, PAS and PRM asking for a meeting, where we propose to raise several issues concerning public confidence in the independence, professionalism and integrity of the police, how it should discharge its role as custodians of law and order , and the trigger-happy police mentality, whether in the fatal shooting of Dr. Tai Eng Teck, the roughing-up of peaceful demonstrators or the arrest of opposition political activists.
Opposition leaders feel strongly that the police should steer clear of politics, especially in the present pre-election season when the battle for the hearts and minds of the voters is most intensive, and the Police should not be seen, directly or indirectly, to be tools of the political powers-that-be to serve their political agendas.
It is clear that the police have captured on videotape the entire process of last Sunday’s demonstration. I call on Norian Mai to show to the Opposition leaders the police videotapes to establish whether it was police agent provocateurs or demonstrators who made last Sunday’s demonstration at the National Mosque unruly.
DAP is opposed to violent protests or riots, but the police must also be mindful of its higher national duty to promote a democratic way of life, and it must not be in the frontline to suppress the democratic rights of the people but give more democratic space for Malaysians to exercise their constitutional right of peaceful assembly.
Public confidence in the independence, professionalism and integrity of the police has also been greatly shaken by the senseless and tragic killing of Dr. Tai Eng Teck, the latest victim of the trigger-happy police.
To restore public confidence and assure Malaysians that the Royal Malaysian Police Force want to root out any trigger-happy police mentality, DAP had proposed two measures, namely the police payment of RM500,000 ex gratia compensation to Dr. Tan’s family and a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the 640 deaths caused by police shoot-outs in the past 10 years, including a review of police procedures and regulations on the police carrying of firearms.
Norian Mai should declare the stand of the police force on these two proposals.
(25/9/99)