Speakers' Corner: Occasional contributions from readers, which do not necessarily reflect the views of Sarawak Report but may be published at the discretion of the site.

Najib's Gestapo

There appears to have been no change in the brutal culture practiced by the PDRM while arch criminal Najib was in power.

Some will find this unsurprising seeing that the whole senior cadre of the Force, including Najib appointed IGP Fuzi, are still in place despite all the evidence of past misbehaviour, illegal and otherwise.

The unwisdom of allowing that IGP and that cadre to remain in place is starkly underlined by recent events in the Mukah district in Sarawak. There a blockade by local inhabitants trying to protect their forests from Taib permitted culling was attacked by the PDRM Mukah contingent on October 25th.

The patent illegality of the police conduct and activity on that occasion was demonstrated by the fact that members of the police party were masked! Like the criminals they would have been better employed hunting. Worse they seized telephones from members of the public at the blockade and destroyed them on the spot. A totally illegal act for which they can and should be prosecuted. Worse still, they beat members of the public, including women. Our brave protectors!

The matter didn’t end there. Eleven members of the public were arrested and, totally illegally, held for days in the Mukah police lock up. The police demanded RM5000 each as bail, well knowing that poor natives could not possibly pay such sums. A fact recognised by the Mukah High Court which reduced the bail to RM500.

This incident poses many questions. Did all this illegal conduct by the Mukah police occur simply on the authority of the OCPD? If so, and it seems very unlikely, how was it that his superiors were not aware for ten days about the incident? Or, as seems much more likely, they knew and may have approved the behaviour of their subordinates. What about the Sarawak Police Commissioner? What sort of control does he exercise over his subordinates. Was not this incident reported to Police HQ in Kuching? If not why not?

The fact that such things could have happened under a PH government is shameful. The fact that the whole top administration of the PDRM is still in place is disgraceful and calls for an explanation from the highest level of that Administration.

Obviously disciplinary action against those in Mukah is a priority but hard on its heels should come the resignations both of the Sarawak CP and the IGP himself. Nothing less is acceptable.

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