17-fold increase in police shooting of so-called 'criminals'

KUALA LUMPUR - The number of trigger-happy cases involving the police has increased 17 fold in the last 8 years, said rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) in a statement expressing shock over the statistics.

The group quoted a police officer who testified at Hindraf activist P.Uthayakumar’s sedition trial, saying there were 82 deaths attributed to police shootings in 2008 and 88 in 2009, in stark contrast to 2001 in which only 5 cases were recorded.

“These latest statistics become even more shocking when compared to the previous years: 2000: 9 deaths; 2001: 5; 2002: 27; 2003: 17; 2004: 13; 2005: 9: 2006: 16; and 2007: 13.

"This would mean that the fatal shootings in 2008 and 2009 were a 17 fold increase compared to the lowest number of 5 fatal shootings in 2001,” said the group in a statement.

LFL said it was not a mistake to believe the police were trigger happy and "will shoot at the slightest opportunity in breach of the laws, regulations and the Inspector General of Police Standing Order".

It added that it had become a norm to claim that such shootings took place when victims tried to "flee from the police" when confronted, even for minor offences.

"In all these cases, senior police and government officials as usual blindly defended the police force and refused to look into the possibility that the police personnel may have been too quick or had unjustifiably discharged firearms causing deaths or serious injuries," it said.

'What happened to special panel?'

It also questioned the progress of the special panel formed by the Home Ministry in the aftermath of the killing of teenager Aminulrasyid Amzah in Shah Alam earlier this year, saying the response smacked of "just another public relation stunt".

“So what has become of the Home Ministry’s special panel that was formed in the aftermath of Aminulrasyid Amzah’s shooting case that reportedly has recommended that the current IGSO be improved?

"Apparently nothing and looked to be just another public relation stunt."

LFL said the government's inaction led to more people cases of police shootings, including the death of Muhammad Hanafi Omar, 22, Muhammad Shamil Hafiz Shapiei, 15, and Hairul Nizam Tuah, 20, all three who were gunned down by police on November 13 in Glenmarie, Shah Alam (left), only to be accused of being hardcore criminals.

Then, Selangor police's acting chief A.Thaiveegan had claimed that the youths were “seasoned criminals” and that they were part of a gang known as “Geng Minyak” which targetted petrol stations.

"The police alleged that the suspects rushed at the police with machetes and that the police shot in self defence when it was more probable that they were killed in cold blood by the police,” said LFL, and repeated calls for the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconducts Commission (IPCMC).

- Harakahdaily