'Paris shooting suspects didn't enter M'sia'

 

Inspector-general of Police Khalid Abu Bakar today denied that two suspects behind the Paris shootings had previously entered Malaysia.

"Checks by PDRM (found) Amedy Coulibaly and his wife Hayat Baumeddiene have never entered Malaysia," he said in a Twitter posting today.

According to international news reports, Amedy was shot dead by French police on Friday while holding hostages in a Jewish supermarket while Hayat is believed to have fled the scene.

Before that, Amedy is believed to have shot a police woman while Hayat acted as his getaway driver.

Khalid said this in response to local news report citing UK tabloid Daily Mail that the couple had visited Malaysia prior to the shooting.

Contacted later, Khalid also stressed that Malaysia was a popular tourist destination and people visiting the country does not indicate anything sinister.

"Malaysia is a popular tourist destination and just because someone comes here does not mean that it is for terrorist-related activities.

"They (French authorities) should also reveal which other countries he (Amedy) has visited based on his passport," he told Malaysiakini.

Amedy is reportedly close to Said Kouachi and Cherif Kouachi who on Wednesday attacked the office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and killed 12 people.

Charlie Hebdo, or Charlie Weekly, is well known for courting controversy with satirical attacks on political and religious leaders of all faiths and has published numerous cartoons ridiculing Prophet Muhammad.

Conservative Muslims deem the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad or God to be blasphemous.

Catholic organisations have filed a dozen of lawsuits against the magazine for, among others, lampooning the Pope.

Violent reaction

Khalid used the violent reaction as an example to justify the government's about turn to retain the controversial Sedition Act.

“Draw a lesson from the incident in Paris. This is why we need the Sedition Act, and PDRM will not let anyone who insults religion off,” he said in another Twitter posting.

The Kouachi brother later barricaded themselves in a printing factory in Paris after police launched a hunt for them.

Amedy who was holed up at the Kosher grocery store had threaten to kill hostages if police stormed the printing factory to capture the Kouachi brothers.

French police later moved in on both locations within 30 minutes of each other, killing the Kouachi brothers and Amedy.

It was found that Amedy had earlier killed four hostages.