Tag: police

UK Police Face Backlash Over Allahu Akbar Chant During Anti-Terror Exercise

Efforts to fight terrorism should not be hampered by perpetuating sterotypes against Muslims, said the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), after police in England used the phrase “Allahu Akbar” at an anti-terror training exercise.

Monday’s exercise at a shopping mall in Manchester comprised more than 800 volunteers, including a masked man dressed in black who, in video footage, was seen running and shouting the words before setting off an explosion.

Miqdaad Versi, assistant secretary general of the MCB, told Al Jazeera that “by using this word [in the terror training], Muslims around the world are being associated with terrorists”.

“Muslims use this term in prayers and is a perfectly noble term and we must not allow the terrorists to hijack it,” said Versi.

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan from Greater Manchester Police said while the exercise was based on a “suicide attack by an extremist Daesh [ISIL] style organisation”, the use of the word was unacceptable.

“On reflection we acknowledge that it was unacceptable to use this religious phrase immediately before the mock suicide bombing, which so vocally linked this exercise with Islam.

“We recognise and apologise for the offence that this has caused.”

Versi added that “using this term in such exercises is not helpful in any way” before welcoming the police for “recognising the problem and for apologising”.

Reactions raced through social media, mostly on Twitter, where people condemned the act.

“I’m disgusted by Manchester Police using ‘Allah hu Akbar’ in a terrorism training exercise. Once again demonising Muslims and Islam,” said a Twitter user.

Police said there was no specific threat in Manchester and that the exercise was devised in December, a month after the Paris attacks that killed 130 people.

A British Muslim Labour party candidate, Sadiq Khan, was sworn in as London’s new mayor this month after receiving the largest number of votes of any London mayoral candidate ever.

Some of the fault lines surrounding Khan’s election were visible on social media where many users mocked what they saw as xenophobic responses to Khan’s mayorship.

Source: www.aljazeera.com

May 12, 2016
New Counter-Terror Police Squad Operational By June

A new crack squad of police officers specially trained and armed to take on terrorists minutes after an attack on Singapore’s shores will be operational in June.

These officers of the Emergency Response Team (ERT), which Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam announced last month as part of a hardening of counter-terrorism measures amid heightened risks, will be trained in counter-assault. They will also wield more powerful firearms — the Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun — than regular cops and be suited up in ballistic helmets and vests in full battle order.

Sharing details of the ERT during the Police workplan seminar yesterday, Mr Shanmugam said that “top of the list” of the new challenges the force will face is terrorism, which has become “a clear and present danger”.

The Police noted that, going by the Paris attacks last November and Jakarta attacks in January, the modus operandi of terrorists have shifted to trying to inflict maximum casualties as quickly as possible without any intent to capture hostages or negotiate for their reliease.

Mr Shanmugam added: “ERTs … will have to respond faster, more effectively and decisively to attacks. They will have more firepower and be given training to achieve this. They will get to the scene as quickly as possible to contain the situation and minimise casualties as far as possible.”

ERT officers will operate out of all six land division headquarters in groups of four to five, conducting patrols at places such as shopping malls as a form of deterrence. By going on these rounds, the officers will also be able to familiarise themselves with the local terrain and stakeholders so that they can respond swiftly during an armed attack.

The ERT will be followed by a second wave of forces — specialist teams from the Special Operations Command (SOC) called Rapid Deployment Troops (RDT). Mr Shanmugam said that around 300 officers will recruited by the time the RDT is fully manned by July 2017.

These troops will move around in convoys of armoured Tactical Strike Vehicles — still being developed — and Tactical Vehicles. When they are needed on a scene urgently, they will use Tactical Response Motorcycles so that they can weave through traffic, for instance.

Source: TODAY Online

April 30, 2016
Drugs, Sex And Bribes: Malaysia’s Police Come Under Scrutiny

The Malaysian police force has come under scrutiny in recent weeks for all the wrong reasons.

There have been several cases this month in which the men in blue were nabbed for various criminal activities, such as kidnapping, bribery, sexual assault and extortion.

At the same time, it has also emerged that six anti-narcotics enforcers from the state of Selangor were arrested over several days since late last week on suspicion of being on the payroll of a major drug ring that was crippled last week when RM36 million (S$12.4 million) worth of methamphetamine was seized.

On April 1, two police constables were detained by the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Johor, after soliciting a RM300 bribe from a man who allegedly committed a traffic offence.

A day later, four policemen from federal police headquarters Bukit Aman joined three accomplices in an attempt to extort money from a sundry shop worker in the state of  Pahang. All seven, aged between 29 and 35, were detained by the police.

On April 10, a married corporal was detained after he sexually assaulted three teenagers who were being held for rioting at a detention centre in Jinjang, Selangor. He was charged for gross indecency.

On April 14, two policemen were suspended from their duties after they released a man who allegedly raped a four-year-old girl.

Two days later, four policemen and a woman constable were detained by the MACC for allegedly accepting money from a man who wanted to settle a car theft case in Penang.

On April 23, a police constable, who was recently dismissed, tried to pass himself off as still being in the force before he was caught by police patrolling the area, where he was holding a man for ransom.

Between 2010 and 2015, a total of 3,677 police personnel were arrested for alleged involvement in criminal activities.

While 521 officers were charged in court, 2,312 of them were released after investigations.

Meanwhile, sources told the Malay Mail that the six anti-narcotic enforcers — an inspector and five lance corporals — who were nabbed had collected about RM100,000 during the past six months from drug lords to close an eye to their mass production of methamphetamine.

The sources said the policemen had stumbled upon the drug operation between three and six months ago.

“We believe the six made a pact with the syndicate not to expose their activities, provided they were paid enough to keep quiet,” said one source.

Investigations are under way to determine if the policemen were also paid to tip-off the syndicate if they knew police were on their trail.

The drug bust also resulted in police seizing RM3.85 million worth of cash and vehicles.

Malaysia’s police chief Khalid Abu Bakar had said drugs totalling 239kg were seized.

“If it had hit the streets, it would have supplied about 12 million drug users,” he was quoted as saying by The Star.

Source: TODAY Online

April 28, 2016
Police: NSF Who Leaked Photo Of Dead SMRT Worker Investigated Under Official Secrets Act

A photograph of the body of one of the two workers killed in the SMRT accident that made its rounds online was a screenshot of a police computer terminal.

It was allegedly leaked by a full-time police national serviceman, the police said yesterday.

The picture, which showed a close-up of Mr Muhammad Asyraf Ahmad Buhari’s body lying on the MRT track, was circulated on social media websites, forums and messaging app WhatsApp earlier this week.

It was even seen by some of Mr Asyraf’s family members before they received news that he had died, The New Paper reported on Thursday.

The picture, which also revealed the 24-year-old’s full name and IC number, appeared to have been taken off a screen.

Yesterday, in response to media queries, a police spokesman told TNP that investigations revealed that the picture was a screenshot of a police computer terminal.

A police NSF is believed to have shared the photograph with his family and friends.

The officer is being investigated for an offence under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), the spokesman said.

The police are also investigating how the photograph was uploaded online.

“The police deeply regret the insensitive and illegal action of the officer and met with the family today to explain the circumstances surrounding the leakage,” the spokesman said.

“The police have strict rules on the management of official information and take a very serious view of any breach. Officers who commit any wrongdoing will be dealt with in accordance with the law.”

SERIOUS OFFENCE

Criminal lawyer Rajan Supramaniam from Hilborne Law said an offence under the OSA is a serious one, particularly so in this case when the sensitive photograph was allegedly leaked while Mr Asyraf’s family was still grieving.

He said that such photographs are taken and strictly used for investigation purposes, and are not meant for public viewing.

“If leaked, they could cause a public outcry, distort the impact of the case and affect the post-mortem findings by authorities,” he said.

Mr Asyraf’s cousin, Mr Muhd Kamal, 24, an undergraduate, told TNP last night upon hearing the news: “It was a very sensitive picture and we wanted to find out who did it. And now we know.

“But we would now leave it to the police to best handle it.”

He had earlier urged people not to circulate the picture, saying it was disrespectful to the deceased.

Mr Asyraf’s father, Mr Ahmad Buhari, 61, had told TNP that he saw the photograph when he was in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. ”I was very sad when I saw the picture,” he had said.

The maximum punishment for wrongful communication of information under the OSA is a two-year jail term and a $2,000 fine.

The police deeply regret the insensitive and illegal action of the officer and met with the family today to explain the circumstances surrounding the leakage.

– A police spokesman

Source: www.tnp.sg

March 26, 2016
Goh Meng Seng: Do Not Divert Attention From Real Issues In Benjamin Lim’s Case

I am utterly disappointed by the Minister for Home Affairs (who is also the Minister of Law, which I always feel is totally inappropriate as it may constitute a conflict of interests but this article is not about this) Mr. Shanmugam’s statement made in parliament with regards to the case of Benjamin Lim Jun Hui.

Instead of addressing the many valid pertinent concerns raised by the public, on and off-line, he has put up a barrage of fire attacks at The Online Citizen (TOC) and the President of Law Society, Mr. Thio Shen Yi with totally irrelevant petty details of bickering.

Whether there were 4 or 5 policemen went to the school, wearing police uniforms or plain clothes are really irrelevant to the pertinent questions asked by TOC, Mr Thio and the public at large.

It is even more ridiculous for the Minister to cast doubts on TOC’s intent by raising the fact that it has reported that the Police refused to comment on the matter when approached!

For whatever reasons the police refused to comment (such as those reasons presented by the Minister himself), it should just say so when TOC asked them! A good and competent Public Relations Officer from the Police would have made simple comment like “We cannot comment on this case as internal investigation is still ongoing.” or “We cannot comment on this case as there will be Coroner Inquiry, please wait for the result of Coroner Inquiry”…etc.

The total ignore or silence from the Police is smacked of either arrogance or complete incompetency in Public Relations communication.

The Police has its own Pubic Relations officers. If the Police refused to answer to TOC’s inquiries, then the Minister cannot blame the TOC for reporting so (the truth that the police refused to comment) and the public will have their own discretion to form their own opinion.

So my dear Minister, it is the FAILURE of Police Public Relations officers in responding to the matter in timely manner that created public perception, not TOC. TOC merely reported the NO RESPONSE from the police!

It is of course the prerogative of the Police in keeping silence but it must also understand that keeping quiet will have its consequences and implications.

By the way, the Main stream media also reported 5 officers went to the school! Please lah! Why not fire at the Main stream media as well?

As for the President of Law Society, the point made was the necessity of the police making the arrest at the school! So, don’t try to divert from this pertinent question by going into the irrelevant bickering. Do you think it is appropriate or necessary for the police to send 4 or 5 police officers to the school to make the arrest?

There are more important questions raised by the public and I expect the Minister to address them, instead of using diversion tactic to dodge from these questions and public anger:

1) Does the Minister think it is RIGHT (never mind if it is legal or not) for policemen to go to school to arrest students who are just suspects of crimes?

2) Does the Minster think it is RIGHT (never mind if it is legal or not) for the police to interrogate minors without the presence of guardian or legal representative? In fact, is it right for police to deny legal representation or aid to suspects, regardless of age, during interrogation?

These are the two important issues raised by the President of Law Society and they are valid questions to be addressed fully. These questions raised does NOT constitute sub judice but it is of GREAT PUBLIC INTERESTS.

I hope the Minister could address these real issues instead of wasting time trying to divert attention to inconsequential minor details and bickering.

Oh, by the way, the poor boy was just investigated but NO OFFICIAL JUDGMENT has been made about him just yet. I do not understand why the Minister would insinuate him as “guilty” in parliament just because, according to the police interrogation, he “confessed” to the crime. His confession could be contested in court if there was really a court case but unfortunately, he won’t have that trial now. So I would urge the Minister not to put judgment on the poor dead boy in parliament even though he is also the Minister of Law, but he is not the judge nor the case has been heard.

Goh Meng Seng

Source: People’s Power Party – PPP

March 3, 2016