The combination of the most “political” IGP with the most “political” Home Minister will concoct a toxic brew for democracy and human rights which will speed the end of the authoritarian Umno/BN regime

Malaysia today is having the most “political” Inspector-General Police in the nation’s history in the person of Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar who has established this dubious reputation for himself in the week he was elevated to the office of the top police officer of the land.

The country is also have the most “political” Home Minister in the nation’s history, with the appointment of Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi who had not said a word about how to get the police to roll back the tide of crime and the mounting fear of crime felt by Malaysians, particularly in Johor Baru, the capital of crime in Malaysia as his only obsession is how to use police powers to crack down hard on Pakatan Rakyat leaders and civil society activists.

In the past week, student leader Adam Adli had been arrested and charged in court for sedition; the trio PKR MP for Batu Tian Chua, democracy activist Haris Ibrahim and PAS activist Tamrin Ghaffar arrested for sedition in connection with their speeches at a forum on May 13 with the Home Minister announcing that the police will appeal against the magistrate’s decision rejecting the police application to remand the three for another seven days; the police harrassment of Pakatan Rakyat leaders like founding DAP Chairman Dr. Chen Man Hin, 86, and DAP elected representatives; the pending prosecution of DAP MP for Ipoh Timor Thomas Su, PKR Perak Secretary Mohammad Anuar Zakaria and Penang Pakatan Rakyat executive secretary Ong Eu Leong tomorrow under the Peaceful Assembly Act and the confiscation of party publications, Harakah (PAS), Rocket (DAP) and Suara Keadilan (PKR).

Thanks to Malaysia having the most “political” Home Minister and the most “political” IGP, Malaysians are reminded of an eerie return to the bad old days of Mahathirism, where all the institutions and instruments of state as well as the laws of the land are subverted to serve one and only one objective – to violate all democratic and human rights of Malaysians just to protect the political regime of the day.

It is simply ridiculous and outrageous for Zahid to announce that the police will appeal against the decision by magistrate Norashikin Sahat on Friday rejecting the police application to remand Tian Chua, Haris Ibrahim and Tamrin Ghaffar for another seven days for investigations under the Sedition Act 1948.

When did the Home Minister take over the powers and duties of deciding whether there would be an appeal against a court decision – overriding the powers of the Police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers?

This is in fact the most flagrant evidence of the Minister’s blatrant interference with police duties.

Is Zahid suggesting that Attorney-General’s Chambers have agreed to lodge an appeal tomorrow against Norashikin Sahat’s rejection of police application to remand the trio by another seven days?

I stand corrected, but if this the case, it will make dubious police and legal history, as it is likely to be the first case of its kind where an appeal is made against a magistrate’s rejection of police application to extend remand – but for what purpose?

Why does Zahid want Tian Chua, Haris and Tamrin to be remanded for another seven days from tomorrow when the trio had been freed for three days, i.e. Friday to Sunday, apart from satisfying the Minister’s vengeful and sadistic streak?

I do not see how the further remand of the trio can help in police investigations, as the police should have all the necessary evidence based on their speeches at the May 13 forum whether to charge them under the Sedition Act.

The combination of the most “political” IGP with the most “political” Home Minister will concoct a toxic brew for democracy and human rights which will speed the end of the authoritarian Umno/BN regime.

The IGP has denied that the police are neglecting their crime-fighting duties to hunt down the opposition and its supporters, claiming that the police have always acted on law-breakers without favouring anyone.

Does Khalid really think his claim that the police will act without fear or favour against all law-breakers, whether they are UMNO/BN VVIPs or bigshots to be believed by the general Malaysian public?

If so, then the police leadership is suffering from a double malady – a grave public credibility gap as well as an equally serious denial syndrome.

While Malaysians await the advent of Malaysian Spring, Zahid and Khalid should not usher in a new era of darkness reminiscent of Operation Lalang in 1987 with their toxic brew to undermine democratic and human rights of Malaysians.

Instead, they should drop all charges against Pakatan Rakyat leaders and civil society activists, which are clearly political in nature, whether against DAP MP for Ipoh Timor Thomas Su, the PKR Perak Secretary Mohammad Anuar Zakaria and Penang PR executive secretary Ong Eu Leong tomorrow, or the pending charges against Tian Chua, Haris Ibrahim and Tamrin Ghaffar or the earlier charges against Adam Adli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.