Calls for the IPCMC grow louder after Monday’s shooting

Calls for the setting up of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) grew louder yesterday following the Inspector-General of Police's statement that police will do what it takes to protect the public.

IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, in defending his men on the shootout in Penang on Monday where five suspected thugs were killed, had said that police did not practice the "shoot-to-kill" policy but had a duty to protect Malaysians.

"We don't care, we have a duty to carry out, and we will carry it out to ensure that Malaysians are safe," he shot back at critics who claimed that the five men were shot “execution style”.

Human rights lawyer N Surendran (pic) said such shootings must be put to an end immediately.

“This incident further strengthens the call to set up the IPCMC,” he told The Malaysian Insider today.

“The police are daring enough to do this because they know they cannot be held accountable. So, the only way to stop this is to set up the IPCMC.”

He said he was also shocked at Khalid's statement, saying it was arrogant of the IGP.

"He thinks that the police are doing this to protect the public but they are not. They are actually endangering the public,” Surendran said.

Surendran said he also saw the photographs of the dead men and claimed some were shot in the head twice while others also had six gunshot wounds.

“The shooting shows that there was no intention to take them in alive. Why was there a need to fire so many shots?

“The police also said they found three firearms. If it is true, why was there a need to shoot the other two unarmed men?

“Police said they had followed standard operating procedure (SOP). How do you expect justice?

The top police officer defends the shooting even before carrying out investigations. Has an inquiry even been carried out?” he asked.

Meanwhile, DAP national legal bureau chairman Gobind Singh Deo said the families of the dead men deserve answers.

“No one is demanding anything extraordinary from the police at this stage. All that is sought for are answers over the manner in which police acted in this case. There should be no difficulty in responding positively to these demands,” Gobind said in a statement today.

"Is that too much to ask?”

Gobind said if Khalid was certain that his men acted strictly within the SOP, then they had nothing to fear in divulging the answers to the families.

He also reiterated his call to the Attorney-General to hold an inquiry into the shootout.

“Khalid cannot say he doesn't care. He must care. He and his men must be prepared to respond to queries if a formal inquiry is called into the matter," he said.

Gobind also told The Malaysian Insider that although there was a need for the IPCMC, an inquiry should be set up first to ascertain what happened during the shootout.

The five who were killed – J. Gobinath, 31, R. Ramesh, 27, A. Vinut, 23, M.Suresh, 25, M. Gobinath, 21 – were allegedly members of the 04 gang.

They were in an apartment in Sungai Nibong when the police party moved in. The families of the dead have lodged four police reports demanding for an inquest into their deaths.