Cop who slapped foreigner in YouTube clip reprimanded

A policeman who had allegedly beaten two foreigners in Bayan Baru has been reprimanded by his superiors, said the Penang police headquarters.

State police chief senior deputy commissioner Abdul Rahim Hanafi said the suspect had been transferred to the the Southwest police operations room with immediate effect.

"The police disciplinary department has begun investigation into the case," said Abdul Rahim (left), in a statement today.

The alleged incident first surfaced in a YouTube posting titled "Police tampar orang awam" on Dec 12, in an incident which reportedly took place in the vicinity of Bayan Baru.

In the videoclip, the policeman is seen shouting and slapping one of the men.

Abdul Rahim said the police would not tolerate any misconduct which could tarnish the good name of the force or undermine the department's reputation.

"I have warned all the heads of departments and police chiefs to ensure that the men under their supervision act within the law," he said.

"Don't ever (allow them to) act beyond the limits of the law or in any way tarnish the image of our team," he warned.

Abdul Rahim, however, declined to reveal any further information about the suspect or the victims.