ARE THE ROYAL MALAYSIAN POLICE ABOVE THE LAW; EFFECTIVELY A LAW UNTO THEMSELVES?

Policing the Malaysian Police

Six men remanded by the police were ordered released by two separate courts of law successively but the police re-arrested them, for the third time, under the Emergency Ordinance (EO), which allows for a 60 day detention period.

Makkal Osai (A Tamil language daily newspaper based in Malaysia, it is one of only three Tamil language dailies in the country; 'Makkai Osai' in English means: The People's Voice) reported that Malaysian Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) Commissioner N. Sivasubramaniam has asked Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan to investigate the case mentioned below.

For link to SUHAKAM web site, please click HERE

Family members of two of the men in police custody submitted a memorandum to SUHAKAM on Tuesday, 5^th August 2008 accusing the police of abuse of power and contempt of court.

In a press conference at his office in Kuala Lumpur attended by family members of two men, Fatimah Begum, wife of Al-Amin Zulkernain, and S. Padmini, sister of S. Samuel Raj; Sivasubramaniam said the two men and four others were originally arrested by police on 27^th July 2008 without their respective family’s knowledge.

They were not represented by legal counsel when they were brought to the Petaling Jaya court on 28^th July 2008.

Their families only became aware of their remand from newspaper reports and when the six made their second court appearance on 31^st July 2008, they had legal counsel.

Sivasubramaniam said that the magistrate in Petaling Jaya denied police the remand extension and ordered that all six be released.

However, police rearrested the six after the remand expired and hauled them to a Klang magistrate's court, where again the police were ordered to release them.

Sivasubramaniam said the police immediately rearrested them once again under the Emergency Ordinance.

‘The police action had infringed on the fundamental liberties of the individuals and the IGP must investigate the case’, he said.

What with political interference in almost everything, the EO the ISA and the OSA, and other draconian, oppressive, suppressive and archaic laws, Malaysia certainly is bordering on being a dictatorial police state, what do you think?

Etiam capillus unus habet umbram

- Even one hair has a shadow

In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas

- In necessary things unity, in doubtful things liberty, in all things charity