Malaysian police shot dead 279...and another 147 died in police lock-ups [2000-2009]

279 persons shot and killed by Malaysian police in the 2000-2009 period. They call them all 'suspects' - but I am certain that many would have also been innocent persons (not even a suspect). Remember, all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Everyone deserves the right to defend themselves, a fair and open trial, etc... but these 279 persons have been deprived of all these rights. After killing them, police normally say they are 'criminals' - and hence their names and their family names are tarnished. 

Were these incidents even investigated by an independent body? No - we do not yet have such a body in Malaysia. 2 Royal Commissions recommended the formation of such a body but the UMNO-led BN government is obviously not interested. The law gives the police the power to arrest - and to use necessary force if needed - but we will never know whether the police went in to kill - or to arrest, and that their use of force was justified. Normally, all gets shot dead - seldom do we hear of persons being shot and arrested. Hence, no witness to dispute the police version of events in most cases.. and no compensation paid by the police(or government) to the families and dependents of those who lost their lives. Why not?

...and another 147 died (or were they killed?) in police lock-ups during the 2000-2009 period.

The numbers are rather high - and good people of Malaysia need to be more concerned.

A total of 279 suspects have been shot dead by the police between 2000 and 2009, while 147 died in police lockup during the same period, revealed Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein today.

The minister disclosed these figures in a written parliamentary reply to Teluk Intan parliamentarian M Manogaran.

Manogaran's question also demanded statistics for those injured during police shootings and custodial deaths at detention camps.

The minister's reply however did not address these two questions.

In another written parliamentary reply to Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj (PSM-Sungai Siput), Hishammuddin revealed that the police shot dead 82 suspects in 2008, and 88 in 2009.

He added that in those two years there was only one case of police injury in the shooting incidents. No police personnel were killed during the same period.

These figures came in the wake of public outcry over the fatal police shooting of teenager Aminulrasyid Amzah, which re-ignited allegations that the police were trigger happy.

Opposition lawmakers and human rights activists have also long decried the issue of custodial deaths, often occurring under suspicious circumstances.- Malaysiakini, 28/6/2010, 426 deaths at hands of the police since 2000