IGP has damaged country’s legal image, says Mahfuz

KUALA LUMPUR: The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar has damaged the country’s legal image by going against the rule set by the Dewan Rakyat and its Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia, said Mahfuz Omar (PAS-Pokok Sena).

According to Mahfuz, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had tabled a motion in the House stating that the Parliamentary committee council had the power to instruct the IGP to ensure that no MPs would be blocked when entering and leaving the Dewan Rakyat compound.

“The motion was tabled by the Home Minister and the council will instruct the IGP to ensure there will be no barriers when MPs are going in and out (of Parliament).

“This means that the IGP has broken Parliament’s rule. This is a crime committed by the IGP that will damage the country’s legal image,” he claimed during a media conference at the Parliament lobby here today.

Mahfuz said this in relation to the arrest of Rafizi Ramli (PKR-Pandan) outside Parliament’s gates yesterday evening.

According to the IGP, Rafizi was arrested under section 8 of the Official Secrets Act.

Khalid Samad (Amanah-Shah Alam) said he was disappointed with the arrest, and claimed that the nation was becoming a police state.

“I need to ask for the police to respect the position of parliamentarians. Rafizi is one person who has always cooperated with the police, it wasn’t necessary to arrest him this way.

“I am also disappointed with Barisan Nasional parliamentarians who kept silent on the issue instead of standing with us to call for the issue to be discussed,” he said.

Meanwhile Johari Abdul (PKR-Sungai Petani) said Pandikar Amin Mulia, the Dewan Rakyat speaker was receptive to the idea of discussing the matter in Parliament.

“We are confident that he (Pandikar) will allow us to discuss this issue in Parliament later.

“Also I must add that we are not questioning the law or the reason he (Rafizi) was arrested, it was the manner in which it was done.

“The sanctity of this place is in the hands of the speaker so they (police) needed to get his approval and they didn’t,” Johari said.

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