Press Statement by Charles Santiago in Klang on Friday, 30^th April 2010:

New IGP required in rebuilding confidence in the police force

Malaysians are angry because a 14-year-old kid was gunned down by four policemen. But the country's top cop, Musa Hassan's, response is to suggest pulling his men off the streets.

"if you do not want the police to enforce the law, then say so," was Musa's answer to questions relating to the criticisms from opposition parties and non-governmental organisations over the issue.

Aminulrasyid Amzah's family is grieving and the public want an independent inquiry. Musa, meanwhile, stutters his way through a mini-filibuster answer saying he could tell his men "to not take any action, including conduct inspections on vehicles or arrest Mat Rempit who ride without licences".

Obviously the Inspector-General of Police is confusing issues here. The people want the police officers to take their job seriously. What they do not want is for them to be trigger-happy.

Dodging questions about his men who have behaved like they were above the law is completely unbecoming of Musa and clearly reflects the never-ending hypocrisy of the police force.

His verbose rhetoric does not end here. While the police force has pledged on a fair investigation into the shooting, Musa has also defended his officers saying that they had reason to be suspicious of a vehicle which refuses to stop when told to.

And the police force wonders why the public do not trust them.

Media reports show there were 39 deaths from police shootings in 2009. And according to a press statement by Suaram, there were 44 such deaths the year before.

This works out to an average of more than three deaths a month and does not include deaths in police custody and unreported fatal police shooting.

Therefore, I urge Musa to start looking into the larger issues of trigger-happy law men even if this could cause convulsions in the force.

In fact, reforms in the police force are badly needed and it must begin with the replacement of Musa Hassan as the national police chief.

I would like to once again reiterate my call for an independent inquiry into the shooting of Aminulrasyid and the setting-up of a specialized Coroner's Court to look into cases of police shooting and death in police custody.

* Charles Santiago, Member of Parliament Klang