KUALA LUMPUR, 7 May 2009: Civilians who take the law into their own hands by assaulting criminals, to the extent of killing them, will not escape punishment, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said today.
He said members of the public should not use violence and vent their anger at criminals.
“Our country has laws. Even when angry with the criminals, don’t punish them to the extent of killing them,” he told reporters after attending a special gathering of police officers in conjunction with the 202nd Police Day in Bukit Aman here today.
He said this in response to an incident at Tanjung Harapan, Port Klang on 1 May where a group of motorcyclist bashed up a robbery suspect, who was left by police personnel handcuffed at a roadside while they (police) went to pursue another suspect.
The robbery suspect died the following day at the Ampuan Rahimah Hospital.
Musa said police could request for public assistance in certain situations.
“At the time of the incident, the suspect was arrested, while his accomplice escaped. So, police sought the help of the motorcyclists to keep watch over the suspect, who was handcuffed, while they went after the accomplice,” he added.
On the General Operations Force member who was found dead with a shot wound to his head at a border security post in Bukit Kwan Chu, Padang Besar, near the Malaysian-Thai border, Musa said police were investigating the incident. — Bernama
Maozi says
People shouldn’t take laws into own hands, agreed.
However, if spoken by the IGP, somehow this statement sounds stupid.
KohJL says
What law?
Did I miss something?
CONCERNED PERAKIAN says
When public don’t get protection from criminals and instead the police unleash their brutality against powerless people then what do you expect us to do? Days are not far away for the fall of a tyrannical government! Follow the way of MK Gandhi – Ahimsha
Eric says
KohJL is right. What law is the IGP talking about? BN law, where the PRDM can barge in legislative assemblies as and when they see fit (e.g. to remove a valid Speaker YES, to protect OKU Karpal Singh against 20 thugs NO).
IGP, since your boys in blue are acting like a BN agency and fail to perform their job, it is very obvious people will take the law into their own hands more and more often.
stk says
Can you depend on the police? No way, they are more interested in “we belanja them kopi”.
The IGP should join Umno as a politician, doing all their dirty jobs of harassing the rakyat instead of fighting crime.