SHAH ALAM, June 11: Tony Pua described the current Malaysia as being increasingly squeezed by the aggressive increase of crime rates, and increase in rates of custodial deaths and at the same time, the objectives of the security forces are more politically oriented causing the police to have to face a crisis of confidence and credibility.
This situation only explains the adverse effects of the BN government’s move to refuse to implement the recommendations and the Royal Commission’s report to set up an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).
“The IPCMC is intended to be an agency to examine the discipline and foster professionalism in the police force as well as to ensure that the police complies with all doctrines, laws, regulations and procedures set,” said Pua who is also the DAP Publicity Secretary in a media statement.
On Saturday, about 70 people were robbed at a steamboat restaurant in Cheras by a group of 10 people who were armed with machetes and iron rods, causing losses of more than RM20,000 to visitors and the restaurant owner.
In fact, the police also allegedly received four more reports of the same kind of robbery around Kuala Lumpur as well as another report in Petaling Jaya in the span of two weeks.
“We are not taking about armed robbery against a single person walking in a dark and secluded alley, but this is an armed daylight robbery at a crowded, open-air restaurant,” said Tony regretfully.
The Prime Minister in a statement quoted from Bernama on Saturday called on the private sector, especially owners of shopping centres, to improve security at the premises by installing more Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and to hire more security guards.
“Although the additional actions above can help reduce crime, the responsibility to fight crime, such as open robberies in restaurants which are violent and outrageous, can only be handled by the police,” he stressed.
He also reiterated concerns over the focus of the police force in hunting down political activists and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders which is a huge waste.
The ninth record of reported deaths while under police custody in the first five months of this year is also seen as the cause of why the reputation of police professionalism has been destroyed.
As such, Tony who is also the Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya Utara blamed the BN government for the failure to ensure that every citizen in this country is safe.
“If BN is still dreaming to win back the support of the urban population in Malaysia in the next general election, they need to implement the IPCMC,” he said.
