Former senior policemen voice concern over need for EO to remove crooks faster
(The Star) – The abolition of EO released hardcore criminals by the thousands into society in one stroke without adequate preparation on the ground by the police, other agencies and society in general.
While human rights issues were instrumental behind the abolition of the Emergency Ordinance (EO), the plight of the victims of these criminals is seemingly forgotten.
Former senior policemen who have dealt with these victims personally feel that there is a need for this preventive law to remove hardcore criminals off the streets faster.
According to former Inspector-General of Police Tun Hanif Omar, preventive laws were intelligence-based and not “prosecution based”, which meant it got these criminals off the streets much faster.
“In a trial, the law favours the criminal nine to one, and shouldering the burden of proof is much harder against violent and organised criminals.
“Their victims and witnesses would not cooperate to testify in open court due to fear,” he told The Star recently.
Hanif said his first thought when the EO was abolished was that crimes, particularly violent ones, would escalate immediately.
“The abolition of EO released hardcore criminals by the thousands into society in one stroke without adequate preparation on the ground by the police, other agencies and society in general.
“We are talking about mostly hardened criminals who would naturally see the abolition and release as a victory, rather a reward for good behaviour,” said Hanif, who added that changes must also be made to the executive-appointed advisory board to make sure they are committed and competent to prevent any kind of abuse of the EO.
“This is important because the previous EO had degenerated into abuse due to incompetence, lack of dedication and allegations of widespread corruption,” said Hanif, who pointed out that it would be good for Malaysia to look at a comprehensive law like the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations (Rico) Act in the United States.
“It would be ideal to have both the Rico Act and preventive laws until the police are sufficiently reformed and retrained to slowly rely less on such laws.”
Former Selangor police chief Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah said he had personally seen what violent criminals were capable of in intimidating witnesses.
“When I was a policeman in Sarawak, these witnesses would come forward and cry to me and ask for help.
“I have seen some with their limbs cut off but what stuck was a victim who had his tongue cut off so that he would remain silent,” he said.
