A Penang lawmaker has been slammed for tweeting remarks deemed insensitive to the family of corporal Raja Aizam Raja Mohd, who was killed in the line of duty yesterday.
Dr Afif Bahardin (pic), who is Seberang Jaya assemblyman and a state executive councillor, yesterday tweeted: "Penjenayah bunuh polis itu tidak menghairankan, tetapi bila polis yang sepatutnya menegakkan undang-undang membunuh tahanan, itu masalah" (It is not surprising for the police to be killed by criminals but when the police, who suppose to uphold the law kill detainees, it is a problem).
Dr Afif is the second PKR rep in Penang to come under fire for actions or remarks considered to be offensive.
Two months ago, Machang Bubuk assemblyman Lee Khai Loon sparked angry protests on mainland Penang for stuffing kangkung (water spinach) into the mouth of an effigy of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Lee was bombarded by Barisan Nasional leaders for allegedly insulting Najib. Police reports were lodged against him and he was investigated for sedition.
Dr Afif is also looking at police reports being lodged against him as Sensible, Ethical Malaysian United Team president Datuk Huan Cheng Guan posted earlier today on his Facebook page that his organisation will get people to lodge police reports against him for insulting and belittling the police.
Penang Umno Youth chief Rafizal Abd Rahim in a statement today also blasted Dr Afif for his tweet, saying that it was unbecoming of a state exco and a Muslim to make such a remark.
"We are unhappy and saddened that he has little sensitivity to the grief of Raja Aizam's widow and three children.
"He should apologise to the deceased's family," he said.
Raja Aizam was slashed to death in a scuffle with a group of foreigners in Taman Sentosa, Klang yesterday.
His partner, corporal Mohd Aidil Mustafa, was also hurt but survived the 5am attack. He also managed to shoot dead two of his attackers.
The two policemen were on patrol when they saw the group walking by the road. When they stopped their patrol car to check on the foreigners, they were attacked.
Rafizal also implied that Dr Afif was trying to draw attention and portraying himself as a fighter for the people with the looming PKR election in mind.
"Unfortunately, he is making insensitive remarks to get support for his party polls," he said.
Dr Afif, who is Penang party youth chief, is running for the deputy PKR Youth chief post.
His now controversial tweet has recorded over 100 retweets. It also attracted criticism from other Twitter users, like Hanif Yon who tweeted that Dr Afif's tweet was seditious.
Dr Afif later made several other tweets related to the police. One read that criminals will be caught and tried (in court) for killing policemen but detainees who died in police custody still have not received justice.
Another tweet said: "Criticism against the police is not a question of emotions or sentiments but about integrity, the sovereignty of the law and neutrality. Those are the police's problems."
And another said: "The duty of the police is to maintain security, prevent crime; they face a huge risk and because of that we demand that the police have integrity and be anti-corruption."
Dr Afif said he did not mean to offend anyone with his tweet and had always sympathised with the families of policemen who were killed in the line of duty.
He said he had no intention to be insensitive to the families.
"My tweet was very general. I did not mention any particular incident. I did not link it to the incident in Klang or the recent death in custody case in Bayan Baru, Penang (where a detainee died of heart failure).
"I was looking at the bigger picture (concerning the police) when I posted the tweet yesterday. It was my opinion on the police institution as a whole," he told The Malaysian Insider.
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