KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 — PKR lawmaker N. Surendran insisted today that he is not seeking a guarantee of safety from the police should he join them on a shootout operation, but merely the same rights as the men in blue to sue in cases of negligence.
The Padang Serai MP said that he cannot sign a document stating that he will not hold anyone responsible for mishaps and that the police have no responsibility whatsoever for his safety.
“It’s complete irresponsibility on the part of the police to ask me to join the operation, then ask me to sign such a disclaimer,” Surendran told The Malay Mail Online today.
“Even police officers can sue the government, for example if they’re shot and if there are no proper procedures in place by PDRM. I’m just asking for the same treatment,” added the PKR vice-president, using the police force’s initials.
News portal The Malaysian Insider reported Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar yesterday as saying that he could not guarantee Surendran’s safety, as he could not guarantee the security of his own officers during police operations.
On October 12, Khalid invited Surendran to join a police operation following the barrage of criticisms against the police force and the Home Ministry for purportedly abusing their enforcement powers, by employing a “shoot first” policy when on the hunt for criminals.
The police chief had tweeted that the invitation was conditional upon Surendran indemnifying PDRM and the government of any mishaps.
Surendran’s lawyer, R. Sivarasa, said last month that the IGP was never serious about the offer and that the invitation was made to silence Surendran’s criticism of police conduct.
