DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang accused Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan and Selangor Chief of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar of starting a “trial by media” after they portrayed 14-year-old Aminulrasyid Amzah as a “criminal.”
Lim said Khalid and Musa’s statements – made within 48 hours of the shooting death by the police — had resulted in an inaccurate portrayal of Aminulrasyid by the media, claiming that this was also the reason why the Cabinet failed to offer a timely message of condolence to the boy’s family.
“The first question that comes to mind for Malaysians is why the Cabinet did not express its distress and condolences at last Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, which met more than 48 hours after the fatal shooting and killing of Aminulrasyid.
“Is it because the Cabinet had relied on the first public account of the heinous police killing by the Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar who said Aminulrasyid was shot dead ‘while reversing his car in an attempt to run over several policemen’, describing the Form 3 student as a ‘criminal’?” said Lim in an statement issued today.
Lim claimed the IGP and Selangor CPO’s statements had influenced the Cabinet’s response. — file pic
According to the Ipoh Timur MP, Khalid’s initial statements had distorted the details of the shooting by claiming that the police had opened fire because “a male passenger jumped out and escaped on foot while the driver reversed his car and tried to run over the policemen.”
Khalid then said one of the policemen fired four shots at the tyres of the car but one of the bullets was believed to have hit the boy, killing him instantly. He also added that police found a parang inside the car, which is believed to have been used in robberies.
“The Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan also publicly endorsed and joined in Khalid’s trial by media of Aminulrasyid in painting the Form 3 student as a criminal — with the insinuation that the parang in the car had been used in robberies!
“Musa even compounded the trial by media against Aminulrasyid by publicly postulating that ‘a speeding vehicle which can be used to plough into policemen is also a dangerous weapon,’ which could endanger the lives of enforcement officers and other road users.
“The clear picture emerging in the past ten days is eye-witness account that Aminulrasyid was fleeing for home and had never tried to reverse to ram policemen to justify the firing of over 15 shots, one of which hit him at the back of his head and killed him while driving the car, causing the vehicle to crash into a tree, a retaining wall and into a drain!”Lim said.
Lim demanded that the IGP and the Selangor CPO apologise to Aminulrasyid’s family, as well as the main witness in the case, Azamuddin Omar, for falsely describing them as criminals. He went on to note that the Cabinet had already expressed its “distress and condolences” to the bereaved family.
Lim said that failure of the police as well as Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein in carrying out a “fair, independent and professional investigation into Aminulrasyid’s killing” had resulted in the police investigation papers, which were submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers last Friday, being remitted back to the police the same evening for further investigations.
“Aminulrasyid’s killing had been classified under ‘murder’ in police investigations but the IGP is asking for an inquest. This is most extraordinary for it could only mean that as of now Musa rejects any charge of murder or homicide against the police personnel concerned!”
The MCA leadership also came under fire from Lim, for siding with the IGP and the Selangor CPO despite rising anger over Aminulrasyid’s death.
Lim categorised MCA liaison bureau chief, Datuk Ti Lian Ker’s attack on Azamuddin’s character a few days ago as proof of MCA’s “silence and subservience” when Musa and Khalid had cast aspersions on Aminulrayid and Azamuddin following the shooting.
Azamuddin has given a statement that refutes the police version of the incident which claim Aminulrasyid had tried to reverse the car towards the policemen. He also alleged he was assaulted by the police when he tried to surrender.
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