Padang Serai parliamentarian dismisses allegations that he accepted the IGP’s ‘shoot-out’ invite to gain political mileage
PETALING JAYA: Padang Serai MP N Surendran today dispelled claims that he accepted IGP Khalid Abu Bakar’s offer to go with the police in their operation against armed criminals for political mileage.
“It is absurd to say I’m using this for political mileage. If you look at my history, I have a long track record of fighting police fatal shootings,” Surendran told FMT.
“I’ve been taking up police fatal shootings and trying to put an end to (it). It is a great quest and cause in my life to end police executions through shootings,” he added.
Surendran, a lawyer, disclosed that exactly 10 years ago, he represented the family of a 18-year old victim whose post-mortem results indicated the latter was made to kneel before being executed.
“That was exactly 10 years ago. To say that I’m doing this (accepting the IGP’s offer) for political mileage doesn’t make any sense,” he said.
The PKR vice-president said he was disappointed that occurrences of unlawful police shootings have yet to be put to rest, but remained hopeful of reforms.
“I always hope that after each case, there would be an end to this unlawful police shooting, but I’ve never been successful,” he said.
“However, within this lifespan, I want to put an end to murders and executions carried out by the police,” he added.
I can’t back out now’
When pointed out he should have known that bringing civilians on police shootouts is a clear breach of law, Surendran said: “The IGP made an offer. I observed it, and in good faith, I accepted it”.
“It is not a crime, it is only improper (to bring a civilian on police shootouts),” he explained.
He also presented himself at the Bukit Aman police headquarters at 2pm today for body armour measurement and “processing of documents”.
“I have accepted, and cannot back down from it now. I will leave it to the authorities to make all the necessary arrangements.”
Yesterday, lawyer Sankara Nair told FMT that the IGP had resorted to political brinkmanship and has “no right of power” to invite a civilian into an actual police operation.
“Only people appointed properly by law according to the Act can exercise powers of police and be involved in any police action. Civilians cannot be involved in any police operation,” he said.
Sankara also criticised Surendran for accepting the challenge, as the latter was a lawyer himself and should have known that the offer was a breach of the law.
“We must be fair. He (Surendran) is a lawyer and ought to know the law. He should have asked the IGP to produce law, not play political brinkmanship as well,” he said.
PETALING JAYA: Padang Serai MP N Surendran today dispelled claims that he accepted IGP Khalid Abu Bakar’s offer to go with the police in their operation against armed criminals for political mileage.“It is absurd to say I’m using this for political mileage. If you look at my history, I have a long track record of fighting police fatal shootings,” Surendran told FMT.
“I’ve been taking up police fatal shootings and trying to put an end to (it). It is a great quest and cause in my life to end police executions through shootings,” he added.
Surendran, a lawyer, disclosed that exactly 10 years ago, he represented the family of a 18-year old victim whose post-mortem results indicated the latter was made to kneel before being executed.
“That was exactly 10 years ago. To say that I’m doing this (accepting the IGP’s offer) for political mileage doesn’t make any sense,” he said.
The PKR vice-president said he was disappointed that occurrences of unlawful police shootings have yet to be put to rest, but remained hopeful of reforms.
“I always hope that after each case, there would be an end to this unlawful police shooting, but I’ve never been successful,” he said.
“However, within this lifespan, I want to put an end to murders and executions carried out by the police,” he added.
I can’t back out now’
When pointed out he should have known that bringing civilians on police shootouts is a clear breach of law, Surendran said: “The IGP made an offer. I observed it, and in good faith, I accepted it”.
“It is not a crime, it is only improper (to bring a civilian on police shootouts),” he explained.
He also presented himself at the Bukit Aman police headquarters at 2pm today for body armour measurement and “processing of documents”.
“I have accepted, and cannot back down from it now. I will leave it to the authorities to make all the necessary arrangements.”
Yesterday, lawyer Sankara Nair told FMT that the IGP had resorted to political brinkmanship and has “no right of power” to invite a civilian into an actual police operation.
“Only people appointed properly by law according to the Act can exercise powers of police and be involved in any police action. Civilians cannot be involved in any police operation,” he said.
Sankara also criticised Surendran for accepting the challenge, as the latter was a lawyer himself and should have known that the offer was a breach of the law.
“We must be fair. He (Surendran) is a lawyer and ought to know the law. He should have asked the IGP to produce law, not play political brinkmanship as well,” he said.
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