With robbery victims mostly ‘our Malays’, minister calls for ‘shoot first’ policy: KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has declared a “shoot first” policy for the police in dealing with suspected gang members in the wake of a violent crime spree that has resulted in Malays making up the majority of the victims. In his speech at a security briefing event with community leaders in Ayer Keroh, Malacca last Saturday, Ahmad Zahid said there was nothing wrong with arresting the over 40,000 known gangsters in the country, half of whom are Indians. “What is the situation of robbery victims, murder victims during shootings? Most of them are our Malays. Most of them are our race,” he was quoted as saying by news portal Malaysiakini, based on a 20-minute audio recording of the speech. “I think the best way is that we no longer compromise with them. There is no need to give them any more warning. If (we) get the evidence, (we) shoot first,” he added, referring to suspected criminals. Ahmad Zahid was also reported to have honed in P. Waythamoorthy, a first-term deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, purportedly telling the latter to quit if he was unhappy with how the police had shot dead five suspected Indian gangsters in Penang last August. “There is a deputy minister... he disputed me and the police. He (asked) why there were no warning shots first before shooting. “I said that if you want to be (in) a NGO, resign as a deputy minister. He is not qualified to be a deputy minister,” Ahmad Zahid was quoted saying, without mentioning anyone’s name. Waythamoorthy has come under fire from his government colleagues after he raised questions over the police’s account of the pre-dawn killings, with Ahmad Zahid among the most strident critics. Ahmad Zahid and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein had told the former Hindraf leader to resign if he was unwilling to toe the government line. But Waythamoorthy has shrugged off the calls to quit, saying that he will continue to stay in government to ensure the interest of the Indian community. The home minister also reportedly took ownership of the amendments made to the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA) 1959, which brought back detention without trial for two years with unlimited extensions. He slammed the opposition for arguing against the amendments during the Dewan Rakyat’s last meeting last week, saying that human rights apply not only to criminals but also to police officers. “I am not a lawyer. I was a banker, so I just listened. I did not understand what they said and even if I did I would not want to understand what they said because they were defending gangsters. “Whoever who defends gangsters, I will surely oppose them,” Malaysiakini quoted him as saying. Ahmad Zahid was also reported to have shooed away reporters who were in the audience, allegedly threatening to shut down their newspapers if the contents of his speech was published. Chinese-language newspaper, Oriental Daily, however, reported the next day on Zahid’s warning to the media after he made “sensitive remarks”, though it did not give details on his comments. Ahmad Zahid’s warning came days after he was reported to have gone on a tirade during a press conference against Malaysiakini for allegedly spinning his statements. The news portal also claimed that their journalist on duty at the time was “harassed” by the minister at the end of the press conference. dlvr.it/45Wb22
Posted on: Mon, 07 Oct 2013 07:14:40 +0000
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