Shooting of teen: KL police chief lashes out

Apr 30, 2010

He hits back at critics of policemen who opened fire after car chase

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's police chief Musa Hassan has lashed out at those criticising the force over the death of a 14-year-old boy, saying he could call his men off the streets if that was what the people wanted.

'If you do not want the police to enforce the law, then say so,' he said.

'I can tell my men to not take any action, including to conduct inspections on vehicles or arrest Mat Rempit (motorcycle gangs) who ride without licence,' Tan Sri Musa told reporters after an official function.

[An incredibly childish respomse. I am amazed someone who has risen to the rank of Chief of Police has the instincts of a child, and responds with the instincts of a child.]

The Inspector-General of Police was responding to statements by various groups over the death of Aminulrasyid Amzah.

The teenager was killed about 100m from his home early on Monday after policemen opened fire on him in Shah Alam following a car chase.

Initial reports, quoting the police, said he had tried to ram his car into police officers, forcing them to fire several shots at its tyres.

One bullet hit Aminulrasyid in the back of his head.

He was driving without a driving licence.

Police reportedly found a parang in the car, a Proton Iswara that belonged to his sister.
There were also allegations that the teen was a member of a robbery gang.

But a friend who was with Aminulrasyid at the time and fled the scene on foot unhurt gave a different story.

He said they were returning from a restaurant when they overtook a police car, reported news website The Malaysian Insider, and the police gave chase and opened fire on the car.

As anger over the shooting incident mounted, the Home Ministry announced that it had set up a special panel to probe the death.

Police chief Musa said he did not want to speculate on exactly what had transpired during the incident.

'It happened at 2am and the vehicle was being driven suspiciously. My men won't know if the driver was an adult or not because it was dark.

'If you refuse to stop and try to drive your way through when an officer is trying to stop you, then that vehicle is considered a weapon because it poses a danger to the life of the enforcement officer,' Mr Musa said.

'Running away from the police creates suspicion and, as law enforcers, we must ascertain why this person is running away from us,' he said.

[By shooting at them? Mr Musa would have done better to acknowledge the loss of a young life, offer his condolences, promise a clean and thorough investigation into the shooting, and say that until the investigation is complete, he is unable to comment any further. Standard procedures.]

Four policemen who were involved in the shooting have been transferred to desk duty and the case has been classified as murder.

One policeman fired four shots, one of which killed the teenager.

Veteran opposition leader Lim Kit Siang said the men in blue needed to explain how Aminulrasyid was shot in the back of the head when he supposedly tried to reverse his car and ram the police.

'As Aminul was shot in the back of his head and killed, he could not have posed any clear or present danger to police personnel.

'Why did they fire - with some neighbours saying they heard not less than five shots?' he was quoted as saying in The Malaysian Insider website.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK