Surendran: 10 killed after 'shoot first' remark

Ten criminals were shot dead by police within the span of three days, not long after Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s controversial "shoot first" comment, said an opposition MP.

PKR’s Padang Serai parliamentarian N Surendran, describing these shootings as “murder”, linked the incidents to the minister’s comments.

On Oct 9, three people were shot dead in Sentul, while three were killed in Ipoh on Oct 10 and four in Ampang on Oct 11, he said.

"Zahid has officially endorsed murder by the police force; and the inspector-general of police and top brass have been disgracefully defending Zahid's criminal statement," he said in a statement.

"Public safety is in grave danger. We call for an immediate end to the 'shoot-first' policy, and for Zahid and the IGP to be probed for conspiracy and abetment of murder.

"Why is it that not one of the 10 could be arrested alive or by a disabling shot?"

He also compared Malaysia's record to that of the UK, which has twice as many people and where guns are widely available.

According to the UK Independent Police Complaints Commission, there were only two fatal police shootings from 2011-2012, Surendran said, while none have been recorded since last year.

Ahmad Zahid has denied calling for extrajudicial killings, while police chief Khalid Abu Bakar has dismissed the allegation that the police are trigger-happy.

Last Friday, Khalid invited Surendran to join a police operation to experience first-hand a shootout with criminals. Surendran replied he has no qualms about doing so.