Home Minister must apologise for the police harsh and heavy-handed treatment of 19-year old kids
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak should show he has got a big heart by not just forgiving the teenagers who have apologised for stamping on his picture but also stop the high-handed and severe punishment of them as if they had committed some heinous crime of murder, armed robbery and rape. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein Onn must apologise for the police's harsh and heavy-handed treatment including a 19-year old girl with handcuffs merely for stamping on the pictures of the Prime Minster Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when even BN leaders charged for corruption were not handcuffed.
Malaysians are outraged by the handcuffs placed on the kids which included 19 year-old girl who voluntarily surrendered. Handcuffs are not usually required unless the accused is violent, or has committed a crime of violence, or may attempt to escape. In this case, handcuffing a young girl who had voluntarily surrendered is nothing but an abuse of power and an act of humiliation.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Mohmad Salleh has defended his men for handcuffing a 19-year-old girl who surrendered herself yesterday saying that the matter was very "light" and mild as she was handcuffed in front and not behind her back as proper procedures required. Such statements not only show that the police is insensitive, irresponsible and not making any sense as why BN leaders were given special treatment and not handcuffed in the back when they were charged for corruption or cheating the public?
Hishammuddin had said stern action against those involved had to be taken as the incident is extreme and aimed at sowing hatred for the country leaders. This is a clear abuse of power when the teenagers are investigated not for any serious criminal offences like murder or rape or armed robbery but under sections 290 and 504 of the Penal Code for being public nuisances and intentionally causing insult with an intent to provoke break the public peace, respectively. Those convicted under Section 290 may be fined up to RM400 while those found guilty under Section 504 are liable to be jailed up to two years or fined, or both.
By allowing such stern action, Hishamuddin practices double standards as no action was taken against those who behaved in a similar manner against Bersih co-Chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan when her picture was burnt and her dignity assaulted by a "butt-dance" performance as well as a "burger protest" in which beef burgers were grilled outside her private residence despite the fact that she is known to be a Hindu and a vegetarian.
Neither was any action taken when my own picture was stepped on, burnt and funeral rites performed with my image by Perkasa. Why is it Perkasa members are not charged for such offensive action against non-Malay leaders from the opposition PR? Why is it no action was taken against those who beat up reporters during a violent demonstration on Penang Bridge?
Is Hishamuddin and the police trying to tell Malaysians that stepping on a picture is a more serious crime compared to corruption? By victimising young, powerless and defenceless kids, they are merely revealing themselves to be bullies and cowards. The treatment suffered by the young girl and teenagers shows the abuse of power, double-standards, bullying and cowardly tactics of Hishamuddin that question his fitness as Home Minister.
