Bullied cops can't fight crime, says Khir

The police are unable to act against criminals because they are being bullied by certain quarters, said former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo.

He said there were people bent on finding fault with the police, thus making the cops reluctant to act.

"The authorities, especially the police are in an uncomfortable or inflexible situation to act quickly and swiftly. 

"This is because every time when an incident happens between the police and criminals, there are quarters who will try to find fault with the police.

"If we were the police, it would be better to sit around than taking action," he said in a Hari Raya Aidilfitri blog posting.

As such, Khir said the criminals have become emboldened and think that they are invincible or have special protection from certain people.

'Cops need protection'
Khir urged the Home Ministry to give the police the necessary protection in carrying out their duties.

"Even though we do not want the police to act arbitrarily, especially in shooting cases, but the police need protection from becoming bully victims by certain groups with their own agenda," he said.            

"We must remember when the law is upheld, there will be those who are unhappy but that is the purpose of law.

"If we pander to these people, surely all our efforts (to combat crime) will go to waste," he added.                

Khir did not mention names but appeared to be referring to the fierce criticism by the opposition against the recent deaths in police custody.