Emergency motion on Klang shooting rejected

An emergency motion to debate the police shooting of five men aged between 17 and 24 in Klang last week was rejected in Parliament today.

Deputy Speaker Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said that the motion by Ipoh Barat parliamentarian M Kulasegaran was not urgent although it was on a specific matter and was of public importance.

He added that the shooting was still under the police investigation.

Kulasegaran (right) had argued that the police should have attempted to capture the alleged criminals and charge them in court instead of resorting to drastic measures.

"Their action brought public peace into jeopardy. The incident clearly showed that the police abused their powers without taking into consideration public safety," said Kulasegaran.

"Instead of defending their actions, the cops should tell the truth of what actually took place."

In the shooting incident on Nov 9, the police shot five who were believed to be suspected criminals and members of 'PCO Boy' gang in Taman Klang Utama.

The police said that the five were responsible for a series of robberies in the area and defended the shooting.

"When police officers shoot, they do not shoot to kill, but rather they shoot to stop the deadly force threat," Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Mohd Bakri Mohd Zinin had said in a statement.

Targeting Indian community

However the police action came under the spotlight with many quarters accusing the police of being trigger-happy.The enforcement officers were also accused of targeting the Indian community in these shoot-outs.

Arising out of this tragedy, a sister of one of the victims had attempted suicide by drinking the weed-killer, paraquat. She had also forced her four children to consume the poison.

Ipoh Timor DAP parliamentarian Lim Kit Siang (left) argued that the motion should not be denied on the basis that it is still under investigation as the shootings have been committed.

"We cannot use that it was still under investigation as an excuse. This is an urgent debate because it involves the interest of many," he said.

"It also involves the belief of the public in the institution of parliament," stressed Lim.

"The case is still being investigated by police, so there must be a separation of power between the legislative and the executive. This goes against the doctrine of separation of powers," he said.

However, despite the pressure to debate the motion by various opposition MPs, Wan Junaidi was steadfast in his decision that there the matter was not urgent.