Ramasamy: Rather absurd that reports are needed before police can commence investigation

 

THE Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) cannot give the excuse that there will be no investigation unless a police report is lodged.

This is what was said by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Razarudin Husain when questioned why there was no investigation of UMNO Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh.

The question was posed by former MCA vice-president Senator Ti Lian Ker who asked the police why no action was taken against the Merlimau state assemblyman for uploading on social media an image of him with a Japanese sword on March 13.

Whether this was genuine response by Razarudin or mere excuse not to act against the UMNO youth politician remains to be seen.

Perhaps, Razarudin can educate the public about the laws that an investigation cannot proceed without a police report.

If Razarudin cares to dig up past police investigations, there have been many such investigations that were not prompted by police reports.

The question is why there is a need for a police report before the cops can act against Akmal for uploading the image of him holding the long sword but in the prevailing context of ethnic and religious tensions.

Home Minister’s interference needed?

What else does the police need to haul him for an investigation? If the police are not aware that in the absence of the belligerent attitude of Akmal calling for the boycott of the KK Super Mart on the socks-gate matter, there would not have been firebomb attacks in Perak, Pahang and Sarawak.

The police cannot be naive not to see the links. While the police are super-efficient in charging the owner and supplier of KK Super Mart and those who made unsavoury comments of the socks’ incident on Facebook, they are slow in going after the vigilantes who relied on mob justice and those responsible for the fire-bomb incidents.

Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy

The police can give importance to reports before investigations to commence. It might be a standard operating procedure (SOP). Surely, there can be an exemption under emergency situations.

Is the absence of reports a mere excuse for the police not to act against certain politicians? I am sure Razarudin himself is aware that hundreds of police reports have made on so many matters without police even investigating the reports.

I urge the police to get their act together and not behave as politicians in the country. On the socks-gate issue, the police must be seen to function in an impartial manner and not on the basis of political expediency or correctness.

I must admit that the minister in-charge of internal security matters might not be giving the right advice to the police force.

The minute the police force gets entangled in the politics of the government, it would be a sad day for the professionalism of the men in blues. – Focus Malaysia

Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.