Butt out of police business, NGOs told
They should not get involved in the tussle between police and gangsters, says ex-government prosecutor Shamsul Sulaiman
Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT
A former deputy public prosecutor has urged all NGOs to “stay out of the way” of the police and Home Ministry’s efforts in combating crime.
Shamsul Sulaiman said this in response to Malaysian Community Crime Care Association (MCCCA) pro-term committee member, V Ravindran, who wanted the police to make public the names of the most wanted gang leaders as a commitment towards fighting crime.
“It’s a personal concern of mine that a lot of these NGOs are politically motivated. When the (Home) Minister does something, they push him to do some more. When he does something good, they say it’s too late. That’s the part which is not nice about the whole thing,” he told FMT.
“They should just let the Minister to do what he wants to do and stay out of the way,” he added.
Shamsul lauded the Ministry’s move to release the names of gangs and their symbols as a way to prevent the public from becoming “potential victims” of gang violence.
“As long as they (the gangs) remain secret, they can put their symbols around areas which say ‘don’t come into my turf’,” he said.
“Members of the public who are oblivious would carry on with their lives and may be potential victims (when they walk into a gang’s turf),” he added.
Shamsul believed that the release of gang symbols would help suppress gang activities as the public would easily recognise them and make a report for the police to take action.
He said there was no necessity as yet to release the names of gang leaders as “you don’t want the police to be flooded with calls just because you a gang leader walking home and is not doing anything particular”.
Naming gang leaders defamatory
Meanwhile, PKR lawyer Latheefa Koya said that releasing the names of gang leaders could be construed as defamation in law.
“Being a member of a gang itself if not an offense but to say that this person is a gang member is wrong,” she said.
“I think it is not proper to release those names unless they have been charged properly by the police,” she added.
Latheefa said that mere detention does not imply the detainee is in the wrong.
“Just because they’ve been detained and then saying they are wanted people in criminal activities is wrong. But saying this person is detained for the purpose of charging is different.”
