Youth group Mandiri urged Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to state his stand on the alleged provocation caused by a police officer at a demonstration last week.
Group coordinator Wong Ku Kui told Malaysiakini that Saifuddin (above) had been quick to condemn violence against police officers during the Kampung Sungai Baru eviction in September last year, but kept mum when the violence was the other way around.
At the time, Saifuddin had issued a strongly worded denunciation of the attack on Dang Wangi district police chief Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman, labelling it a display of “uncivilised acts".
"But when the institution under Saifuddin's care abuses its power and intimidates people, he is silent.
"I think it is inappropriate. Saifuddin should state his position and take action (against the accused officer)," Wong said.
This morning, Wong lodged a police report at the Sentul district police headquarters against an officer who allegedly provoked participants of a peaceful assembly outside Parliament on Jan 22.
The incident occurred around noon when the group gathered in front of Parliament’s main entrance to seek reforms to laws on cannabis.
Accusations and threats
Wong said in a statement the same day that the officer had accused participants of using drugs and threatened to arrest them.
He also shared a short video clip of the alleged incident, which showed a group of protesters in a verbal altercation with a man clad in a dark grey T-shirt and black trousers, believed to be a police officer based on his sidearm.
According to the police report sighted by Malaysiakini, Wong said the officer's actions were a clear display of abuse of power, unprofessional conduct, and intimidation during a peaceful protest that was carried out in line with Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.
Article 10 guarantees the right to freedom of assembly to citizens.
Establish IPCMC
Commenting further, Wong expressed hopes that action taken against the officer will be fully transparent so that public confidence in the police can be regained.
He called for the government to establish the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission and enforce the use of body cameras.
"This is one of the reforms that Pakatan Harapan promised when they were still in the opposition. After becoming the government, it has been more than three years, almost four years, but there are still no processes and no effort to reform the police," he lamented.
After that, further action will be taken if necessary, including a report to the Independent Police Conduct Commission and Suhakam, he added.
For the time being, Wong said he would give the police the time and space to carry out their investigation. - Mkini
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