IGP: Police will do whatever it takes to maintain security

(The Star) SEPANG: The police will do whatever it takes to maintain peace and order in the country, including detaining certain quarters who are out to create trouble, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said yesterday.

“Are lawyers immune to the law? Can they do whatever they want without fear of any action being taken against them?

“Lawyers should set good examples and follow their professional procedures when discharging their duties,” he told reporters at the KL International Airport on his return from Hanoi where he attended the 29th Asean Chief of Police conference yesterday.

The IGP was commenting on the call by the Malaysian Bar for the Home Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and himself to resign following the alleged unlawful detention of five Legal Aid Centre lawyers by the Brickfields police recently.

“We have a duty to protect the people and to ensure that peace and security prevailed. I will not allow what is happening in a neighbouring country to happen here. I will never let that happen in this country,” he added.

Bar president Ragunath Kesavan said the Bar would seek a meeting with the Prime Minister to present a memorandum on the EGM resolution to condemn the police action in denying lawyers access to 15 detainees of the candlelight vigil for political activist Wong Chin Huat on May 7.

Meanwhile, the Advocates Association of Sarawak also condemned the detention and interrogation of the lawyers.