Home minister: Cops punishable in court if crimes committed, just like anyone else
PUTRAJAYA, April 15 — Police personnel who had committed crimes would be brought to court just like any other individuals instead of going through internal disciplinary procedures, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said today.
Hamzah said this was the same for anyone who committed crimes in the country.
“Police personnel that committed offences, will still be on trial like ordinary individuals,” he said at the Le Meridien Hotel here.
“But police personnel that committed wrongdoing in the Police Act itself, they must go through certain processes, there are certain procedures.
“For example, if there is someone who is considered wrong, and is to be punished by demotion of rank, there is a process to do it. And after it is brought to the Police Force Commission and if the Police Force Commission finds that it is true as said and agrees, then the punishment is imposed as brought by the police’s Integrity and Standards Compliance Department,” he added.
Hamzah was distinguishing police wrongdoings that would only involve internal disciplinary action and wrongdoings that breach other laws.
“But if they commit criminal offences that are in this country’s laws, they should be arrested. Not just the police personnel only, anyone, we see whoever it is in our country, and we see whether it is politicians, ordinary citizens, civil servants, it is done normally from time to time.
“Not just the police. The immigration too, agencies under me too, it’s the same for civil servants in other ministries. That is a normal thing,” he said.
Hamzah was speaking to reporters after his roundtable session with non-Muslim representatives regarding the use of the word “Allah”.
Hamzah was asked to comment on Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay’s remarks yesterday that police personnel linked to fugitive Datuk Seri Nicky Liow’s organised crime syndicate and criminal activities would be arrested and brought to court to be charged.
Ayob Khan had said such police personnel would go through prosecution, instead of having their names submitted to the police’s Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (Jips) for disciplinary action.
On March 30, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador had revealed that 34 people, including members of the force, are believed to have had a role in allowing Liow, the founder of Winner Dynasty Group, to escape the “Op Pelican 3.0” operation to nab him.
The 33-year-old fugitive businessman is believed to have obtained information about the March 20 operation through police officers and personnel as well as other enforcement agencies under his payroll, including a former deputy public prosecutor.
Liow is wanted for a list of criminal offences, including an online scam operation targeting mainland Chinese nationals.
He is also believed to be involved with a notorious triad leader and head of an international drug-trafficking syndicate, known as the 14K, Wan Kuok Koi @ Broken Tooth Koi.
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