The police now have admitted to questioning the pupils of SK Seri Pristana, but said they were not taking official statements from them nor were the children harassed.
Sungai Buloh district police chief Junaidi Bujang said they were "just talking to the students" to ask them more about the shower room used as a makeshift canteen.
"There were six children in the photograph (uploaded by a parent), so we wanted to find out who the children were, whether the photograph was taken during Ramadan, when they started eating there etc.
"We cannot just listen to the teachers. Even the parents got the information from their children. But we did not interrogate the children. We were just talking," he said.
Yesterday, Junaidi had said that "no instructions" were given to question the children.
"There is no such thing. There was never any instruction on my part. I did not ask any officer to do so. In any case, what would the children know?" he had toldMalaysiakini when asked if police had questioned the children.
However, at a press conference later, several parents accused the police chief of lying, claiming that their children were indeed questioned without their consent.
Contacted today, Junaidi claimed that he had misunderstood the question and what he meant was that the police did not harass the children.
He said if the children were "frightened" as claimed by the parents then they should lodge a police report on the matter.
"We didn't just speak to the Indian students. We spoke to Chinese students and even Malay students. We were just doing our job to find out if the claims were true...
"I have no agenda and I have been trying to help. What I would prefer is for everyone to sit together and solve this problem as Malaysians," he said.
He said that while there was no police report lodged on alleged kidnap threats on the children, as claimed by the parents, a police vehicle still patrols the school area "round the clock" in case anything happens.
"Perhaps what this group of parents want is for me to shut down the school or take action against the headmaster but that is not my job," he said.
On the parent who was arrested Monday for allegedly intimidating the headmaster, he said that police have recorded statements of eye-witnesses and have records showing the parent was at the school.
Sungai Buloh district police chief Junaidi Bujang said they were "just talking to the students" to ask them more about the shower room used as a makeshift canteen.
"There were six children in the photograph (uploaded by a parent), so we wanted to find out who the children were, whether the photograph was taken during Ramadan, when they started eating there etc.
"We cannot just listen to the teachers. Even the parents got the information from their children. But we did not interrogate the children. We were just talking," he said.Yesterday, Junaidi had said that "no instructions" were given to question the children.
"There is no such thing. There was never any instruction on my part. I did not ask any officer to do so. In any case, what would the children know?" he had toldMalaysiakini when asked if police had questioned the children.
However, at a press conference later, several parents accused the police chief of lying, claiming that their children were indeed questioned without their consent.
Contacted today, Junaidi claimed that he had misunderstood the question and what he meant was that the police did not harass the children.
He said if the children were "frightened" as claimed by the parents then they should lodge a police report on the matter.
"We didn't just speak to the Indian students. We spoke to Chinese students and even Malay students. We were just doing our job to find out if the claims were true...
"I have no agenda and I have been trying to help. What I would prefer is for everyone to sit together and solve this problem as Malaysians," he said.
He said that while there was no police report lodged on alleged kidnap threats on the children, as claimed by the parents, a police vehicle still patrols the school area "round the clock" in case anything happens."Perhaps what this group of parents want is for me to shut down the school or take action against the headmaster but that is not my job," he said.
On the parent who was arrested Monday for allegedly intimidating the headmaster, he said that police have recorded statements of eye-witnesses and have records showing the parent was at the school.
"He can deny this and say he has an alibi, but if the prosecutor decides to charge him then he can argue it in court. We have done our job," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.