State government calls on Penangites to take over community policing from patrol unit

Penang's state executive council members before the state budget meeting last year. The state government has decided to rest all PPS activity pending a court decision on the patrol unit's legitimacy. - The Malaysian Insider pic, September 1, 2014.The Penang state executive council has called on the public and civil society to take over the role played by the embattled Voluntary Patrol Unit (PPS) in helping the police to combat crime.

In its resolution made today, the council said it hoped that local communities can help by undertaking community policing to prevent crime and maintain Penang’s standing as among the safest states in Malaysia.

The resolution was announced after a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at his office in George Town. Lim said the resolution was supported by all 30 state assemblymen from DAP, PKR and PAS, most of whom were present.

The executive council also made a decision to rest the members of the 9,002-strong PPS from all relevant activities in Penang until the court’s decision on the legality of the body.

It stressed that the PPS is a legitimate organisation as it was instituted under the state government on April 8, 2009.

“Since its approval, the PPS has undertaken its duties well and with the blessings of the police,” the resolution said.

“For the last four years, PPS has not faced any problems with the police except one or two incidents on which disciplinary action has already been taken by the state government and punishment meted by the court.”

The council regarded the 156 members who were arrested yesteday as “heroes of the people of Penang” as they were being held not for doing anything that had broken the law, but in executing their noble welfare work, the resolution said.

It also formally criticised the directive by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar for the arrests to be made.

The council said this was because Khalid had “abused his powers” by ordering the mass arrests of "PPS members who are innocent", including executive councillor Phee Boon Poh who is in charge of the PPS.

Khalid has said that the PPS is deemed illegal under Section 41 of the Societies Act as it has not been registered with the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

The executive council also called on the police to take necessary action to heighten security and protection towards Lim following the attack on his house with a Molotov cocktail on the night of August 30.

It said the move, which was captured on CCTV as being done by a motorcyclist who threw the explosive over the wall, was clearly intended to injure and threaten Lim, and the perpetrators should be arrested.

Lim later said the Penang police have attempted to be as professional in dealing with those arrested at the George Town district police headquarters, and the state understood that they were performing their duties under directive from Khalid.

- TMI