You probe me, I probe you

Written by Francis Siah

Wednesday, 10 August 2011
CPI

I was ‘honoured’ to be welcomed back at the Kuching airport on Monday (Aug 8) by five police officers.

Immediately after I crossed the immigration counter at 6.15pm, one of them who introduced herself as ASP Angela ak Ladie, approached me and she and her colleagues then ushered me into a room. Another introduced himself as Sub-Inspector Simon Low. The others said they were stationed at the airport.

I was given a letter stating that I was required to be at the Sarawak police headquarters on Aug 10 at 10am for the purpose of recording my statement under Section 112 Criminal Procedure Code.

If I fail to do so, the police will report such refusal to a magistrate to issue a warrant to secure my attendance. I duly signed an acknowledgement of receipt and was given a copy of the notice.

To be fair, they were friendly and courteous to me. I even managed to joke whether they need five people to arrest a weak senior citizen like me who can’t even run. What a waste of police resources!

I told them the same thing and stuck to my guts. If they really want a proper statement from me, then the police must also call in the chief minister. Otherwise, they will never get one from me. This is a matter of principle.

I have already decided to do this. After meeting the police commissioner [CPI note: Siah is presently at the police headquarters], I will write the followingg in my statement:

“I have nothing to say until I’ve been informed that the police has also recorded a statement from Taib Mahmud following the police report I lodged against him for corruption, money laundering and abuse of power on March 13, 2011. Period!”

In my meeting with the CP, I may also tell him that MoCS has set up a civil service committee to check into the background of senior police officers. Once we have evidence, we will report the ‘tainted’ officers to MACC.

Already, I’ve been informed of the background of one senior police officer who is sitting pretty high at the Badruddin police headquarters. That is also our job – we must have a clean civil service. Police, Immigration, Customs and the Road Transport Department are government departments notorious for involvement in graft and abuse of power.

Remember people, the police have the right to investigate and interrogate civilians. We too have that right to probe them. Every year, some 300 police officers are sacked by PDRM. Something must be very wrong in the police force.

**************

Francis Siah heads the Movement of Change Sarawak (MoCS) and is organising the MoCS ‘Walk for Democracy’ event scheduled for this Saturday, Aug 13