Tung Shin incident "blown out of proportion"

The Sun Daily
by Karen Arukesamy and Alyaa Alhadjri

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 5, 2011): Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein today defended the police's standard operating procedure (SOP) in dispersing Bersih 2.0 demonstrators, saying the Tung Shin hospital incident during the July 9 rally had been blown out of proportion.

Referring to the Health Ministry probe which concluded police had broken their own SOP by firing water cannon and smoke bombs into the hospital compound during the rally, Hishammuddin said the police are not the only ones to be blamed for the incident.

“On Tung Shin there is a spin – it is looking as though the standard operating procedure of the police is at fault.

“This is just one incident and the fact they are just looking at one particular incident relating to internal disciplinary action based on SOP, to me is like making a mountain out of a molehill,” Hishammuddin told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

The Home Minister said there was a need to widen the scope of the probe and not just pick one particular incident.

“The report is already done but we need to widen the scope of investigation," he added.

Hishammuddin also said the incident at the hospital was one of “six or seven” incidents that involved the wrongdoing of “one errant police officer”.

“This does not mean that those who are at fault, including the police officer, will not be prosecuted. But the Attorney-General will decide on that. This is a process that we have to go through,” he said.

Meanwhile Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar, who was also present, said there is “nothing wrong with the SOP”.

Failing to explain further, he just said the investigating committee will check on the report and that the police officer is from a “different department”.

The Home Ministry in a press statement released late yesterday night had reportedly admitted that police had breached the SOP and had acted unethically in the dispersal of demonstrators of the Bersih 2.0 at the Tung Shin Hospital based on the Health Ministry’s highest level internal investigation committee’s report.

Home Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Mahmood Adam said his ministry will refer the personnel concerned to the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM)'s disciplinary committee for its consideration and further action.

Meanwhile, at a separate press conference at Jalan Tun Razak police station today, KL CID Chief SAC Datuk Ku Chin Wah said disciplinary action will be taken against a police officer with the KL police contingent for using "forced violence" to disperse protesters taking part in the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally.

Ku said the officer was identified by the police from one of the many videos circulated online of incidents which took place on the day, including of alleged police brutality.

"He was seen in the video to be wearing a red handkerchief that covered his face, but we have identified him and submitted our investigation paper to the DPP (Deputy Public Prosecutor)," said Ku.

He however said the DPP decided that no further action can be taken as no victims had came forward during the investigation process.

"We had completed our investigations in August and received a reply from the DPP last month," said Ku, who however did not elaborate on the exact incident he was referring to.

He said the officer concerned will be referred to the PDRM Disciplinary Committee for future action.

In an immediate response, Bersih 2.0 steering committee member Dr Wong Chin Huat questioned the police's motive behind narrowing its investigation to only one individual.

"That is why no victims can be found. All other reported cases does not stand," he claimed.