Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Thursday, 6^th May 2010: 

Will IGP and Selangor CPO apologise for starting the trial by media and defaming Aminulrasyid and Azamuddin and their families when the two boys were called “criminals”?

The Cabinet yesterday belatedly expressed its distress and condolences to the family of Aminulrasyid Amzah, 14, who was killed by trigger-happy police about 100 metres from his Shah Alam house in the early hours (2 am) of Monday, April 26, 2010 when trying to flee home driving his sister’s car.

The first question that comes to mind for Malaysians is why the Cabinet did not express its distress and condolences at last Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, which met more than 48 hours after the fatal shooting and killing of Aminulrasyid.

Is it because the Cabinet had relied on the first public account of the heinous police killing by the Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar who said Aminulrasyid was shot dead “while reversing his car in an attempt to run over several policemen”, describing the Form III student as a “criminal”?

In his first statement which appeared in Tuesday’s papers, Khalid said the policemen were on patrol in two cars when they spotted two men behaving suspiciously inside a car.

The police signaled for the driver to pull over for inspection, but the driver sped off, resulting in a police chase.

Khalid said that after beating several red-lights, the patrol cars managed ‘to corner the suspects’ car”.

Khalid said: “A male passenger jumped out and escaped on foot while the driver reversed his car and tried to run over the policemen, forcing them to open fire.”

Khalid said: “A male passenger jumped out and escaped on foot while the driver reversed his car and tried to run over the policemen, forcing them to open fire.”

Investigations into Aminulrasyid’s death had not been completed, as the Attorney-General Chambers had returned the police investigation papers last Friday for more investigations to be conducted.

What then is the basis of the Cabinet’s expression of distress and condolences to the bereaved family? Is it because the Cabinet has come to realize that the Selangor police chief’s account was a false and spurious one?

The Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan also publicly endorsed and joined in Khalid’s trial by media of Aminulrasyid in painting the Form III student as a criminal – with the insinuation that the parang in the car had been used in robberies!

Musa even compounded the trial by media against Aminulrasyid by publicly postulating that “A speeding vehicle which can be used to plough into policemen is also a dangerous weapon” which could endanger the lives of enforcement officers and other roadusers.

The clear picture emerging in the past ten days is eye-witness account that Aminulrasyid was fleeing for home and had never tried to reverse to ram policemen to justify the firing of over 15 shots, one of which hit him at the back of his head and killed him while at the steering wheel, causing the vehicle to crash into a tree, a retaining wall and into a drain!

With the Cabinet’s expression of distress and condolences to the bereaved family, will the IGP and the Selangor CPO themselves apologise to Aminulrasyid and his family as well as to Azamuddin and his family for falsely describing them as “criminals”.

The Selangor CPO and IGP were the first to start the trial by media defaming Aminulrasyid and Azamuddin Omar and their families saying that the two boys were suspected to be “criminals”? In fact, Azamuddin’s father is a police officer himself.

The IGP and the Selangor CPO, as well as the Home Minister, had promised fair, independent and professional investigations into Aminulrasyid’s killing – which the trio failed to deliver as the police investigations were inadequate and unsatisfactory, which was why the police investigation papers submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers last Friday were remitted back to the police the same evening for further investigations to be conducted.

Aminulrasyid’s killing had been classified under “murder” during police investigations but the IGP is asking for an inquest. This is most extraordinary for it could only mean that as of now Musa rejects any charge of murder or homicide against the police personnel concerned!

What has shocked and outraged many is that the MCA leadership has decided to officially side with the IGP and the Selangor CPO despite rising anger over the Amirnulrasyid’s shooting death.

The MCA NGO liaison bureau chief Datuk Ti Lian Ker attacked the press conference by Azamuddin, the sole companion in Aminulrasyid’s car that fateful night, as an “unethical move” and “trial by media”, saying it “may influence public perception and judgment.

The MCA leadership were silent and subservient when the IGP and Selangor CPO conducted a trial by media against Aminulrasyid and Azamuddin immediately after the tragic killing.

No wonder the MCA cannot recapture the support not only of Chinese but also Malays, Indians, Ibans and Kadazans who constitute Najib’s 1Malaysia.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh Timor