The late-night visit of the eight-man Special Panel headed by Deputy Home Minister Datuk Abu Seman Yusop to the Aminulrasyid murder site in Shah Alam yesterday was a circus, just a public relations (PR) show to assuage public outrage rather than substantive investigation and is therefore an insult to Aminul’s memory and the intelligence of concerned Malaysians.
I watched the 14.26 minute Malaysiakini video clip of the Special Panel’s visit and I am reminded of my visit, together with DAP Secretary-General and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to the bereaved Aminul family in Shah Alam Section 11, particularly the suffering mother Norsiah Mohamad last Wednesday, directly on touchdown from our flight returning from Sibu.
The video of businessman, Wah Rahim Tajuddin, whose house was the exact spot Aminulrasyid had finally crashed into, and whose son is a good friend of Aminulrasyid, showed him still very distraught emotionally when narrating to members of the Special Panel the events of the tragic early hours the previous Monday eight days ago.
At least Rahim did not break down and wept as he did when he recounted to me the shocking killing of Aminulrasyid which he did not know until the next morning, believing that the corpse he saw slumped head-down in the car was a criminal whom the police had killed.
As Rahim recounted, Aminulrasyid was a good friend of his son and that he used to send the two boys together to their part-time jobs in McDonald’s.
They also used to play futsal until late to the point where he had to drag both of them home.
It was Rahim who expressed the worry of the Shah Alam residents and their fear of the police who, instead of ensuring their security and safety, are now a threat to their security and safety – particularly concerned that youngsters who watch football games at mamak stalls into the early hours of the morning risk dangers like the fatal one which befell Aminul.
It was also at this encounter at the Aminulrasyhid murder scene last Wednesday that one of the neighbours shouted in anger, sorrow and despair “”This is not Manchester or Los Angeles, this is bloody Shah Alam” !
But when I watched the video of the Special Panel’s visit, one question bugged me: What was the purpose of the site visit as it served no purpose apart as being a circus and a PR exercise to deflect public anger not only at the police trigger-happy shooting and killing of a Form III student whose only offence was to drive underaged and without licence but also at the hamfisted mishandling of the Aminulrasyid killing by the authorities, particularly the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan and the Home Minister Datuk Seir Hishammuddin Hussein.
What is the use of the Special Panel’s visit to the murder site unless it has the powers to take over all investigations into Aminulrasyid’s killing and murder?
At first, Abu Seman had said that the Special Panel had no powers to inquire or even to make recommendations to the police; but after severe public criticisms, the Special Panel suddenly claimed super powers: to call up witnesses, to review the procedures involving the discharge of firearms and even to scrutinize the investigation papers at any time without needing the approval of the police or Attorney-General’s Chambers.
Under what law did the Special Panel derive all these “quick silver” powers – turning into from a powerless to a super-powered Special Panel?
If the Special Panel is a genuine and not a fake high-powered monitoring and investigating body, the first thing it should have done is to demand explanations why the police had been so sloppy and slipshod in their investigations that their investigation papers into Aminulrasyid’s killing was sent back by the Attorney-General’s Chambers, demanding further investigations?
Abu Seman said clearly on video during the visit that the Special Panel hopes to meet once a week on every Friday. This is outrageous. If the Special Panel has become the most important body in the investigations into Aminulrasyid’s killing, it should be meeting every day and not every Friday!
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein must end this rigmarole of the weekly Friday meeting of the Special Panel headed by Abu Seman.
If they are serious about the Special Panel and serious in their assurance to the bereaved family and the country on wanting to get to the bottom of Aminulrasyid’s killing, then the Special Panel should take over all investigations of the case from the police in the form of a public inquiry.
It was better late than never – just convert the Special Panel into a Royal Commission of Inquiry with former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Hanif Omar replacing Abu Seman as Chairman, and expanding its terms of reference from Aminulrasyid’s killing to all police shooting deaths since 2005.
#1 by dagen on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 12:56 pm
By Steadyaku47
“But let us not blame PDRM for killing a Malay boy – for by the killing of this 14 year old Malay Boy, PDRM can now say that they are an equal opportunity killer. They hantam that Indian Kugan to death, pushed that Chinese Teoh Beng Hock to his death and now shot an unarmed Malay school boy dead.
For now the other minority racial groupings will have to wait their turn until PDRM comes across a Portuguese, a Sabahan, a Burmese or maybe a Mat Salleh doing what they have to do to get shot by PDRM – whatever that will be!
… …”
Ibrahim bin perkasa will jump at these words. He will scream that they amount to a direct challenge on his and his fellow umnoputras’ ketuanan. For he had argued before that he and his kind deserve 67% and nothing less. So for every chinese shot dead by the police or killed by the macc, there must be 3 of his kind killed or murdered similarly.
#2 by Bigjoe on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 1:25 pm
Justice for Amirul begin with Freeing Anwar from persecution so that Anwar can ‘Selamatkan Malaysia’ which is the only way to give justice to Amirul.
Kerana mereka berani fitnah Anwar, mereka berani tembak Amirul..
#3 by Ridzuan Aziz on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 1:36 pm
dear dagen, how would you reckon a 15-year old boy, who was being shot at, would decide at the last minute, to run away.
he wouldn’t have run away if he knows that he is not making any mistake. Well, i don’t buy it when his mother or his family members and friends said that he was a nice boy. Apparently, this boy had been driving many times before, and during the incident, he was not new to the game.
I would have stopped when i heard the gun shot..and this young man was obviously a very brave one-because he wasn’t deterred by the gun shots. He was shot at very early morning about 2-3? well, what the hell was a young boy of 15 doing at that moment?
Such incident, though very unfortunate, to me is a lesson for all. This is because, it is a warning to all, that parents should be more cautious with the activity of their children.
#4 by SENGLANG on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 1:39 pm
It awalys happen like this. A very simple and straight forward case all politician in Malaysia will turn it into a very complex case and each try to harvest the maximum political mileage. The opposition off course will not loose out and capitalized on the ill handling of most cased by the government. Again this police case was not new to the man on the street. It has been long long time the bad perception of the public against the PDRM has not been or purposes refused to be address by the authority. The call by opposition not to renew the IGP term also fall on deaf ears. We all know something is very ill in PDRM but the authority fail to act.
Again we are facing a very simple case at least to the public. A teen boy has been shot to the head just simply he refused to stop ? or has he been stop in any way? By a patrol car? Then PDRM give chase? When ever some one run away from the patrol car the first presumption was that the car on the run was highly dangerous and must shot at sight? Their was the mentality of PDRM. But we could not blame them either because they themselves have fail to provide a safe environment and we all know it was not safe on the street. Even the PDRM also scare shit when ever someone refused to stop and thinking that all these refused to stop by the police car are criminal.
Interesting and almost like the movie script. Car reversed on them and parang found etc immediately appear on the main stream newspaper . Immediately special task form to investigate and more task force from the normal to supper and from supper to mega supper task force etc. To the public this just another effort to cover? It not please shown us we are wrong? Mind you.
#5 by Hassan on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 1:41 pm
There is no term as “insulting malaysian intelligent”, because we hv no intelligent to be insult of..today we re in anger and outrage, but after listen to a make up story from this clown and goverment, we silent like a lamb, and comes next GE, we will vote BN again..
#6 by yhsiew on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 2:02 pm
///but after severe public criticisms, the Special Panel suddenly claimed super powers: to call up witnesses, to review the procedures involving the discharge of firearms and even to scrutinize the investigation papers at any time without needing the approval of the police or Attorney-General’s Chambers./// (Kit)
Mark these people’s words. Make sure they don’t say one thing and do another.
#7 by Hassan on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 2:07 pm
Subhanallah! ridhuan aziz, u should be ashamed to be a muslim without understanding ur own religion..I think as a human being with a healthy mind, one should believe that everybody have a right to get a fair trial, no matter who he is ( because everybody is innocent until proven guilty)..and as a muslim u should know better that every should give second chance to repent to Allah..in afganistan, they bomb a whole school because there is a girl student i there, i think riduan, u r mentality is perfect if u wanna be a taliban leader..
#8 by johnnypok on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 2:10 pm
1. Change the government
2. Revamp the whole police department
3. Sell Malaya to Singapore
#9 by SENGLANG on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 2:12 pm
Let talk why the teen run and do not stop even PDRM chase after him?
First we can not assume as what PDRM will assumed who ever refused to stop are criminal and dangerous? There are many reasons. Talk about this young boy and his friend also a teenager . First they have committed a wrong doing, ie driving without license. They knew it . Worst he was driving his sister car without her permission(assumed and take this as what has been reported by the sister). All psychologist will tell you that, this is scare and he feel guilty. He is naturally know he will be reprimanded and he also know he is in hot soup when the police caught up with him. So naturally he take chance ie run away. Now the fact is he run away from police. Can we conclude that this natural instinct can only come from a criminal and must be highly dangerous person? We can’t assume that, and this was most likely what the PDRM has assumed even the IGP will also assumed that. Why?
We all know and all PDRM members admitted the fact, the streets are not safe and there are many dangerous criminal around with highly dangerous fire arms. PDRM know better that us and as human they are more scare than the public because they have seen too many cases. So then it is simple, shot first and talk later. When argue along this line we sympathy with those PDRM fellows who know very much they face danger every minutes and they are scare. Mind you they are human and they have kids and their wives are waiting each night for their safe return home.
So who to blame? It is normal else where. The first announcement is not car reversed onto them or parang found. Else where the HEAD of PDRM will roll his head and say goodbye first. This is the honorable way to do.
PDRM nor only ill but they have terminally ill and need to be fix wrong time. This illness need many prescription and not only one, but the most immediate is let change the head and this was the stumbling block to have other prescriptions to be effectively administrate on this PDRM illness.
A teenage life has gone with the big bang-bang. Let him rest in peace but not in vain and the only redemption may we ask for a real change in PDRM, other wise its go back to the starting point again
#10 by chengho on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 2:21 pm
for Malaysian harmony vote BN , 1Malaysia
#11 by johnnypok on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 2:29 pm
BN/UMNO is like a rotten salted fish, infested with maggots, and should be discarded, and Malaya to be given FREE to Indonesia, so that bodohlanders can live happily ever after.
#12 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 4:28 pm
You said in earlier thread that Special Panel is “neither fish nor fowl” .
It must be a chameleon then. See it changes “colour” according to changes/pressure of public opinion – first from having no powers to investigate or make recommendations to the police but mere oversight of police’s conduct of investigations (per what Abu Seman first said)to now direct investigations by site visit!
One has to be realistic. The public outrage – and concern – is always based on this: if it were a member of the police force that killed Aminulrasyid, the police themselves cannot, for reasons of esprit de corps be relied upon to investigate impartially and rigorously one of its own regarding whether there was unjustified use of fire arms. The only way that public concerns of impartiality of investigation may be addressed is some entity other than the police to carry out the investigation/enquiry besides that done by the police. So if its not going to be an Inquest or a Royal Commission – if its going to be this “Special chameleon panel”, still the task of investigation of the facts have to be assumed or else what’s good of it to assuage public concerns? To say that it exercises oversight on police investigations for transparency but not investigations itself does not address public concern at all when public ask in what way does this panel have qualifications to “oversee” and “monitor” police investigations effectively if police go through all the outward motions without really cooperating the inside track of things??
But even if this Panel starts investigating what’s the official or legal status of its report/findings? We know the Inquest is governed by Criminal Procedure Code, and the Royal Commission/Comission of Enquiry by the Commission of Enquiry Act. This panel by what law? I think none. Its just by fiat of Home Minister – or cabinet?
#13 by dagen on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 4:39 pm
It is a sad sad case isnt it ridzuan? How did we descend to this level? Thirty yrs ago boys his age could also be doing the very same thing aminul did. Maybe not with cars then but certainly on bikes and with bicycles. And way into the middle of the night too – screaming and shouting along the way and generally making a fool of themselves and being a nuisance to everyone. Police then would give them stern warnings (delivered no doubt, angrily) and would even house them overnight in the police station – to let them know what it feels like to lose their personal liberty for a while. Naughty and mischevious boys even of the extreme variaty belongs to a very different category of people from that whom we all would label criminals. The police must have a specially trained eye to sieve potential criminals from those who are not. Of course it is not always that police would be accorded the luxury of time to make all the necessary assessments in order to arrive at the correct answer. Decisions often have to made at the drop of a pin like “Yes he is a criminal or is criminal-like.” To this extent, the judgment of policemen made at the scene of and in the midst of unfolding events is certainly one which is difficult to fault. The issue here is on the use of the pistol – a deadly weapon. The judgment or conclusion of the police that a certain person is a criminal, even if made hastily under forced and difficult circumstances, is not and should not be treated as an automatic licence for his to shoot. But shoot they did. And according to news report, about 20 rounds were fired. That is appears excessive to me. I shall not go into those details in all fairness. Let the investigation proceed. The party in the wrong will face the music eventually, somehow.
#14 by monsterball on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 5:04 pm
The police is questioning Amin’s good friend for the third time.
I guess….until the police gets what they wants to hear…all witnesses are not treated as witnesses at all with courtesy and respect.
Imagine a 15 year old boy being questioned for the 3rd time.
So easy to frame anyone. Will the police use that dirty tricks…they learn from so many movies..exposing police corruptions?
#15 by Bigjoe on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 5:08 pm
What did I say that the Hulu Selangor is a disaster – they now have the guts to raise taxes even though its unpopular. If they successfully raise taxes and prices, BN is unbeatable in GE 13.
#16 by monsterball on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 5:09 pm
For Malaysia to grow strong and wealthy…so that all can live with true peace and harmony….vote PR.
For UNITY..vote PR
For FREEDOM…vote PR.
PR does not honour all promise….vote Chengho as PM.
#17 by gofortruth on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 5:21 pm
Cops grill teen key witness for third time:-
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/131031
———————–
Why so difficult to get a clear statement from the boy?????? A ‘threats & super buy off deal’ to COVER UP in progress???? When is the boy going to breakdown & change statement?????
Typical……
#18 by good coolie on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - 10:30 pm
Of course the police can make mistakes, just like others! The trick is to admit one’s mistakes and make amends. And, hey, was there a parang or not?
And as for young Aminul, may he rest in peace. God bless his family and friends.
#19 by chengho on Thursday, 6 May 2010 - 7:24 am
uncle Monstersball,
pause , take a deep breath and re boot ; vote BN , we trust in Najib leadership 1Malaysia…