Across the causeway, Singapore’s top cop expresses sorrow to murder victim’s family


The Malaysian Insider

By Ng Joo Hee
Commissioner of Police
Singapore
July 14, 2013

[Too defensive. Too slow to say sorry. These are the criticisms levelled at the Royal Malaysia Police when the issue of custodial deaths or corruption among the men in blue is discussed. Across the causeway, a Singapore police officer was arrested for the heinous murder of a father and son. The Malaysian Insider reproduces the heartfelt sentiments from Singapore’s top cop who pledges firm action to rebuild trust.(TMI)]

Today is a sad day for the police. Today, we have arrested a murder suspect who is also a policeman. The police have brought into custody Iskandar Rahmat, 34, a Singaporean male, a police officer attached to Bedok Police Division. He will be charged for the brutal murders of Tan Boon Sin and his son Tan Chee Heong at Hillside Drive.

I cannot remember the last time a murder suspect was also a police officer. You may have seen this kind of thing depicted in the movies and on TV, but when it happens for real, it hits you like a freight train.

After the shocking events of Wednesday afternoon, police investigators worked tirelessly around the clock to, first, identify the perpetrator, and then, to hunt him down.

When I was first told that the murder suspect could be one of our own, my initial reaction was disbelief, swiftly followed by anger and anguish. This was the same gamut of emotions police investigators had to deal with in the last few days as they pursued the suspect.

The fact that the suspect is a police officer gave my investigators even greater resolve and determination to solve this case. I commend them for going about their duties in a thoroughly professional manner, and for being ultimately successful in capturing their target.

We have now captured officer Iskandar and we will prosecute him to the maximum extent. He is a murder suspect and will eventually receive just desserts for the heinous crime that he is accused of committing.

Officer Iskandar’s fall from grace has also brought dishonour to the 10,000 other police officers who dedicate themselves every day to protecting others, and who routinely risk their own safety to preserve that of others.

Tragically, Tan Boon Sin and Tan Chee Heong are dead. And untold grief has been brought upon their families and loved ones. Their loss can never ever be made good.

I wish that there is something the police can do to lessen their anger and sorrow. I wish that I can turn back the clock and undo this great misfortune that has befallen upon the Tan family. But I know that no amount of commiseration or regret will lessen the hurt. All we can do is to bring the culpable to justice, and to mourn with the rest of Singapore the senseless loss of two innocent lives.

I expect that after this press conference, newspapers, TV and radio, the blogosphere, and coffee shops and sitting rooms up and down the country will reverberate with talk, comment and opinion about this tragic incident.

Most of it will be an outcry critical of the police, questioning the quality and integrity of police officers. Some of it will be unthinking and plainly unfair. And still some will be deliberately malicious.

Even as we investigate the murders, the police also look to find out what has led an individual who has sworn to uphold the law to now stand accused of breaking it in the most grievous way.

Our police force and every policeman and policewoman is tarred by the actions of this single officer. This is unfortunate, but my officers and I will take every criticism in our stride.

The public’s trust in the police is the only reason why we are able to keep Singapore as safe as it is. This trust is hard-earned and must never be broken. And we will not allow this tragedy to adversely affect the strong bonds that we share with the communities that we protect.

Tomorrow, every police officer will still go to work fully cognisant of his and her sacrosanct mission. And every police officer will still say the police pledge before he goes on duty, and then work as hard as he can to keep Singapore safe and secure.

We are a force for the nation. And we will not be distracted by the current unfortunate event, from continuing with our work of safeguarding Singapore. – July 14, 2013.

* This was first published in the Singapore Straits Times on July 14, 2013.

  1. #1 by omeqiu on Sunday, 14 July 2013 - 5:41 pm

    When will Malaysian writers stop comparing Malaysia with Singapore? Singapore is a Republic.

    • #2 by ChinNA on Sunday, 14 July 2013 - 6:14 pm

      Why stop? The case in point does not matter the type of country that Malaysia or Singapore is. Help readers like me understand why this comparison should be stopped by explaining your conclusion.

      Thanks.

  2. #3 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 14 July 2013 - 6:27 pm

    Singapore is a Republic. We are a banana.

    • #4 by ChinNA on Monday, 15 July 2013 - 12:03 am

      Merge the 2 together and you get banana republic.

  3. #5 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 14 July 2013 - 8:47 pm

    Our fellas will explain and say that we uphold the rule of law – the presumption accorded to an accused (under investigation) in all civilised countries adhering the Rule of Law – that no man (including a policemen) is considered guilty unless he has his day in court and on evidence proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, something which based on the nuances and words used by Commissioner of Police down South, seem to be a principle not held sacrosanct. We will say why should a policeman or anyone in the force responsible for public safety and who is a suspect be paradoxically accorded even less benefit of doubt – and less of this presumption of innocence unless proven in court otherwise- than another average citizen who is a suspect, for all these things to be said?

  4. #6 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 14 July 2013 - 8:57 pm

    “….we will prosecute him to the maximum extent. He is a murder suspect and will eventually receive just desserts for the heinous crime that he is accused of committing. Officer Iskandar’s fall from grace has also brought dishonour to the 10,000 other police officers who dedicate themselves every day to protecting others, and who routinely risk their own safety to preserve that of others…” Doesn’t this already suggest guilt before trial? Will he get a fair trial? Our fellas will say, “our IGP will folow legal norms and never say in public a thing like this before the accused suspect has a chance to defend himself in court. So who is banana?”

    • #7 by ChinNA on Monday, 15 July 2013 - 12:08 am

      Then it up to the judge to see that the accused get a fair trail. The chief of police is not the judge. Let the evidence in the due process of the law take place.

      Then we can conclude if there is a banana.

  5. #8 by tak tahan on Sunday, 14 July 2013 - 11:28 pm

    Republic says ‘Yakchiu’ to our infamous kampong jantans’s banana.Same same word with most of the rest countries worldwide

  6. #9 by Cinapek on Sunday, 14 July 2013 - 11:33 pm

    While I salute Singapore’s police chief for his swift action to express his heartfelt sentiments and to try to restore the trust in the police, I nevertheless feel his comments have already pass judgement on the suspect before he is even brought before a court of law.

    But in his actions, the Singapore police chief can teach some humanity lessons to our police. Our police not only do not express any remorse for the mysterious death in the police lockups, they even resort to cover ups for their wrong doing. And when an open court of law have found them guilty of malfeasance and cover up, they still do not feel shameful for their disgusting actions and have the cheek to appeal.

  7. #10 by lee tai king (previously dagen) on Monday, 15 July 2013 - 9:57 am

    If the exact same thing happened in malaysia tommorrow, our umno controlled IGP would first of all deny that any police officer was involved. If an officer was in fact involved, the IGP would claim that he acted in self-defence and in any case guns, parangs and all sorts of weapons were found near or around his victims. And when it became too obvious to hide the real fact, the IGP would most likely then charge that pakatan was politicising the matter. Umno would get into the picture by saying stupid things like pakatan is turning the matter into a racial issue. The likely end is very much within our knowledge (based on real cases of course). Inquiry. Ridiculous findings. Re-inquiry. And so on. And be very careful. If anyone of us were to fight too hard for the truth and the rights of the victim’s family then we could just end up going to prison.

    Umno tipu-ed and will continue to tipu. But at least chinese in the country and a large majority of the other urban dwellers were not tipu-ed. Actually they refused to be tipu-ed by umno. For that they did not give umno their nambekais and their votes in GE13.

  8. #11 by lee tai king (previously dagen) on Monday, 15 July 2013 - 10:00 am

    Oh yes one more thing which our IGP is likely to say. How could I miss this.

    Hey, look it happened everywhere too. It happened in singapore recently. So what is the big deal.

  9. #12 by tuahpekkong on Monday, 15 July 2013 - 11:36 am

    Violent crimes rarely happen in Singapore. Violent crime of this nature is even rarer while it is almost unprecedented for a police officer to be involved in such a crime. That is why they were so shocked by the killings. Here we regard it as a casual affair and the Chinese were advised by a minister to not stand idly while crimes happen. Singapore police are very disciplined and professional. We are worlds apart from them. Oh gosh, I may be asked to migrate to Singapore.

  10. #13 by mauriyaII on Monday, 15 July 2013 - 4:56 pm

    The difference between the two police forces is that one in the south is an effective crime fighting force that respects law and order while ours has become a farce, neither respecting law and order nor the common citizens of the country.

    Our PDRM is hell bent on providing bodyguard services to the VVIP politicians in UMNO and those who have the monetary clout to buy their way out of criminal situations.

    The IGP in the south feels remorse and expresses his heart felt condolences to the victims’ family while our PIG connives and condones his officers’ barbaric and inhuman behaviour.

    The officers in the south go up the ladder on merit while our jokers who are the products of the NEP and kulitification feel brawn is better than the brain. The chasm between the two forces is so great that a paradigm shift in the intake and promotion policies has to take place to address the present lackluster image of our police force/farce.

  11. #14 by Loh on Monday, 15 July 2013 - 8:51 pm

    ///The public’s trust in the police is the only reason why we are able to keep Singapore as safe as it is. This trust is hard-earned and must never be broken. And we will not allow this tragedy to adversely affect the strong bonds that we share with the communities that we protect.///–the author

    The public’s trust in the police including the would be perpetrators’ trust that the police is capable makes them think twice before ever attempting to commit crime helps keep a nation safe. But we can’t say the same in Malaysia.

    There are 10,000 police officers in Singapore with 5 million population. At the same population per police officer we should have 60,000 men here. But there are twice the number at 120,000 police officers in Malaysia, and yet a Minister said that crime rate in Malaysia is not just perception. What have gone wrong?

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