KUALA LUMPUR, 7 Jan 2009: Law enforcement personnel used excessive force against two individuals during an incident at Persiaran Bandar Mahkota Cheras (BMC) 1 on 27 May last year, said the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).
This was stated in the findings of the Public Inquiry into the Allegation of Excessive Use of Force During the Incident at BMC by Suhakam.
In a 41-page report read out by the inquiry’s chairperson, Suhakam Commissioner Datin Paduka Zaitoon Othman, the inquiry found that the excessive use of force violated the safety and security of the individuals, namely Chan Jiun Haur and Chan Siew Meng.
Zaitoon said the evidence indicated that the police and Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel were responsible for the violation of human rights during the incident.
“However due to the contradicting as well as unclear evidence, the panel was unable to identify who among the law enforcement personnel were responsible for such violation.
“Since it has been found that excessive force had been used on the two individuals, the panel of inquiry strongly recommended that the police conducted their own investigation to ascertain which personnel used the force against the victims,” she said.
She said those were the unanimous findings and recommendations of the commission that formed the panel of inquiry. The two other members were Suhakam Commissioner Datuk Dr Chiam Heng Keng and Commissioner Datuk Khalid Ibrahim.
Zaitoon said, the panel of inquiry also recommended that the police and FRU urgently implemented the international standards as guidelines for their personnel on the use of force.
“The panel of inquiry recommended that the police and FRU require all their personnel to display their names and badge numbers visibly and clearly during field operations,” she said.
Zaitoon said that the report would be submitted to the police, Home Ministry, Attorney-General’ s office and those who lodged the complaints, as soon as possible. — Bernama
