Reason for Police to Arrest Penarik Beca is Untenable

Update

Blogger "Penarik Beca" Released by Police.

Read here for more on Rocky's Bru

--- End of Update ---

Professor Emeritus Gary T. Marx from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) wrote:

".. One element in defining a democratic society is a police force that:

1. is subject to the rule of law, embodying values respectful of human dignity, rather than the wishes of a powerful leader or party
   
   
2. can intervene in the life of citizens only under LIMITED and carefully CONTROLLED circumstances and
   
   
3. is publicly accountable.

These conditions are inherent to police in a democracy.

When police operate under the rule of law, they may protect democracy by their example of respect for the law and by suppressing crime.

Police are moral, as well as legal, actors.

The term "police state" as represented by Germany under National Socialism and the former Soviet Union under communism suggests the opposite of a democratic state. Police are subservient to a single party, not a legislature or judiciary. The policing of crime and politics merge and political dissent becomes a crime. Here the police function may not be clearly differentiated from and may overlap that of the security services (e.g., as with the military or national intelligence agencies). "
- Prof. Emeritus Gary Marx

We say,

The Malaysian police force, i.e. its institution and every individual employed therein, are paid for by Malaysian taxpayers, i.e. the RAKYAT.

The police force is NOT established under the Federal Constitution and NOT funded by the RAKYAT to be made accountable to the ruling political parties in Government ie the current UMNO-led BN Government, and to be used to support partisan politics, wittingly or unwittingly.

The police force is, for want of a better term, a SERVANT of the RAKYAT, not a self-styled institution of dictatorship to bully the rakyat. The police force BELONGS to the RAKYAT, and by extension, it is accountable to the RAKYAT through other existing democratic institutions.

The individual police officers at all levels should realise quickly , if they have not yet done so, that the police force does NOT belong to Musa Hassan (IGP) nor to the politicians and Ministers in the BN-Government.

The indiscriminate and unwarranted use of force on the innocent RAKYAT (who are the paymasters of the policemen's salaries) , coupled with the apparent behaviour of the police force widely viewed in recent times as being only accountable/responsible to politicians in the ruling parties and Government Ministers, are not exactly what the RAKYAT had bargained for.

The Malaysian police force CANNOT be allowed at any time to be a law unto themselves.

We noted in recent times, it appears that Tan Sri Musa Hassan and some over-enthusiastic members of the police force seem to forget who they really are, what is their role in a democratic society and where their salaries they earn to put food on the table of their families, come from.

It is the RIGHT of every RAKYAT to criticise, and where deemed necessary, to condemn unwarranted actions and bad behaviour of the police force, including that of the IGP and senior members of the force. It is NOT a crime to criticise the police force.

Thus the arrest of Blogger Penarik Becca for criticising or even 'humiliating' the police force in his blog cannot be justified by any means. We do not see how criticising the police force or criticising any Government Department, is a crime.

If Tan Sri Musa Hassan, or any member of the police force, feels he/she has been slandered, he/she should take the civil action course against the blogger, and NOT to use his powers to have police officers to come in the middle of the night to arrest the blogger, an action we know is generally associated with communist and fascist states.

The action on Penarik Beca is not just an over-reaction, it is downright unlawful.

We call therefore for Blogger Penarik Beca to be released immediately and unconditionally and without any undue concern to his family.

We will continue to urge all Malaysians to defend their democratic and fundamental rights, in particular, to fully ensure that our institutions responsible for security of the people and the nation do respect the rule of law and are publicly accountable, both in policy and in behaviour.

Every police officer, including IGP Musa Hassan, in the course of fulfilling their duty, should constantly remind himself/herself, of this:

"Your rice bowl comes from the pockets of ordinary law-abiding people/rakyat who love the country as much as you are being paid to serve them by protecting them and the country."

-Malaysian Unplug

COMMENTARY

From Rocky Bru Blog: Read here for more

The Inspector-General of Police told reporters in Kuala Lumpur a while ago that the blogger Penarik Beca or Bakaq is being investigated for "humiliating" the police force.

How did Bakaq humiliate the force? The blogger apparently transformed the TIGER on the police emblem into a DOG!I don't agree with the act of doggying the cops that way. Like the hippies calling the police PIGS in. Like most of you who are unhappy with some bloggers' decision to raise an inverted flag on Merdeka as a sign of protest.

But is it seditious? As I see it, Bakaq's detention is another example of police over-reaction. Bakaq's defaced emblem is nothing compared with the missing RM1 million syabu stolen while in the cops' possession in Johor Bahru this week, to cite just one latest example.

The decision to pick him up in the middle of the night did more damage to the police force than a hundred of Bakaq's worst postings on the cops.

I would like to appeal to the IGP to release Bakaq immediately, without charge, and use the feedback given on blogs and on the Net to improve the image of the Force.

There are many Malaysians out there who still hold the police in high esteem, so don't piss them off (or let them down).