Syed Hamid: Don't regard criminals as heroes

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 28 — The people should not regard criminals as heroes and the police who enforce the law as demons, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said today.

Speaking in general terms, he said no one was above the law and added that action would be taken against those who broke the law, even if it was the police.

“We will not conceal the facts,” he told reporters at his office here.

Syed Hamid said he was not linking his statement, made in general terms, with the death of car theft suspect A. Kugan who had died while in police custody at the Taipan police station in Subang Jaya on Jan 20.

“I am not pinpointing anybody,” the minister stressed.

He explained that police had detained three suspects including Kugan following investigations into 19 cases of vehicle theft and armed robbery.

The minister also asked the people not to politicise the investigation into Kugan’s death, saying it would make the police task more difficult.

“They must talk of the case based on facts and not assumptions,” he said.

Kugan, 22, who was detained on Jan 15 at the Taipan police station on suspicion of being involved in the theft of luxury cars in Sungai Chua, Kajang, had died while being questioned.

Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar had said a post-mortem found that Kugan had died due to fluid in his lungs but Kugan’s family sought a second post mortem, insisting that Kugan had died of injuries.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said later that Kugan’s death had been classified as murder. A second post-mortem on Kugan has been done since.

The police are investigating Kugan’s death and the results are expected to be known soon.

Kugan’s funeral was held today. — Bernama