Hindraf demands IGP apologise for police's actions in Siti Kassim incident

PETALING JAYA: The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) has demanded that Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun apologise to lawyer and activist Siti Zabedah Kassim for the latter's unjustifiable arrest and attempted remand by police over the weekend.
Hindraf chairperson P. Waytha Moorthy mentioned in a letter that although the Kajang ACP Ahmad Dzaffir Mohd Yusoff had stated that the arrest and attempted remand was in accordance with sections 363 and 186 of Penal Code, it was not so in reality.
"The alleged victim, Anis Izzatty Ruslan, had clearly stated that she had not been kidnapped and that she have left the Kajang hospital on her own volition to her lawyer's (Siti Kassim) residence to avoid her abusive mother.
"Despite Anis's denial that she has been kidnapped, she was taken into police custody by force and to make matters worse, they had tried to obtain a remand against Siti Kassim under Section 186 without even investigating the matter in detail," Waytha Moorthy said in a statement.
He added that the previous regime's culture of arbitrary, unjust and impunity must stop now that there is a new administration in power.
"One cannot really imagine the state and predicament of an ordinary Malaysian will turn out when such a cavalier fashion by the police force is being displayed," he said.
"Hindraf views this gross injustice and continuity of such practices with grave concern so we really hope that the IGP could act immediately," he added.
Meanwhie, the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) said it viewed the matter with grave concern and would be looking into it.
"We want to determine if the police had followed the Standard Operating Procedure in effecting the arrest and whether there is any truth in the allegations of police impropriety in carrying out their duty.
"This is in line with the provision in Section 28 of the EAIC 2009 (Act 700) where the commission may commence its own investigation since the matter is significant interest to the public," said its chairman, Datuk A. Aziz A. Rahim.