Instruction to destroy camp not meant to erase evidence, says ex-cop

Wang Kelian RCI | Perlis deputy police chief Md Zukir Md Isa (above) stressed that his instruction to have the human trafficking camp in Wang Kelian cleared was not to eliminate the evidence, but instead to prevent it from being used by undocumented migrants in the future.

The retired cop is the 13th witness to testify at the Royal Commission Inquiry (RCI) on the Wang Kelian Incident at Putrajaya, which entered its fifth day today.

"The instruction was not to clear the camp overall but only some parts of it.

"I did not intend to destroy the evidence. I only asked to clear some parts such as the canvas covering the camp shelters (kanvas bahagian pelindung) and the water storage. The intention was to ensure that they were not being used again," he said.

On March 27, Suhakam and the NGO Fortify Rights in their report stated that the authority's action in clearing or destroying the camp had reduced the number of evidence to facilitate investigations.

The report also raised the issue with the four-month delay in exhuming bodies at the site. which complicated the forensic experts' efforts to ascertain the cause of death.

In the RCI hearing last Thursday, the commander of Company B, 3rd Battalion, Northern Brigade, General Operations Force, MA Joeking, told the inquiry the instruction to destroy the camp and graves at Wang Kelian had come from Zukir in a meeting before the operation commenced.

Joeking added that before the decision was made, there was another discussion held by Zukir without his presence.

Zukir today explained that his first instruction was to examine grounds that appear to be gravesites near the camp.

"Towards the end of my instruction, I was asked about the temporary camps. I asked to examine the grave-like structure and then to destroy the camp," he said, adding that he felt Joeking did not conduct the investigation thoroughly.

On the delay in the investigation, Zukir admitted that there's no coordination among police during the preliminary investigation.

He said Bukit Aman had its own reasons on why the investigation was not expedited.

"As far as I can remember, during a media conference by the former Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar, when asked on why police were slow in their action, Khalid said that they need more time to inspect the area," he said.

In the previous hearing, a former cop told that he was advised against conducting operations in the area, while another witness said he was instructed to halt investigationsafter the finding of the first body at the peak of Bukit Wang Burma on March 6, 2015. - Mkini