The opposition takes a swipe at Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein for his response to the shooting of the three teenagers at Glenmarie last year.

KUALA LUMPUR: Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein’s one-paragraph written reply to a question seeking an update of the Glenmarie shootings involving three teenagers has drawn the ire of opposition parliamentarians.

Puchong MP, Gobind Singh Deo, had asked for the outcome of the investigation into the shooting and subsequent actions that were taken against those found responsible for causing the death of the three teenagers.

In a written reply, the Home Ministry said that investigations revealed that the police’s action of firing at the teenagers “was in accordance with the law”.

It was also revealed that the matter was investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for “attempted murder”.

It noted that the investigation papers had been given to the Attorney-General’s Office which had instructed that the probe be completed.

An irate Gobind, however, was quick to tear Hishammuddin’s reply.

“If they had acted in accordance with the law, what are the facts (which law was used to clear any wrongdoing?).

“What are the circumstances to justify their action? Hishammuddin has to come to Parliament and explain the full details”.

‘Devoid of details’

In the shooting that happened last November, police said they shot Syamil Hafiz Shafie, 15, Mohd Khairul Nizam Tuah, 20, and Mohd Hanafi Omar, 22, from a distance.

They alleged that the three were members of a criminal gang called Geng Minyak and that the shooting occurred after they had robbed a petrol station.

The police said they shot the youths after they had tried to attack them with a parang.

Taking a swipe at Hishammuddin, Gobind said the minister’s answer was devoid of any details.

“It has been a year (since the incident and) we are still waiting for answers.

“Is this all Hishammuddin can do? Hishammuddin must provide a more detailed answer so that the families will feel at rest,” he said at a press conference here, which was also attended by the deceased’s family members.

Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, who was also present, said the public had to wait for a year to get an answer from Parliament.

Meanwhile, the families’ lawyer N Surendran, who was also present, said there were many contradictions in the police’s version of the incident and that of the post-mortem report which was prepared by qualified officials in government hospitals.

“The post-mortem report showed that the bullets that killed the victims were shot from a 45 degree angle.

“This suggests that the victims were kneeling when they were shot. This contradicts the police version that (the three) attacked the police with a parang before they were shot dead,” he said.

Why ‘attempted murder’?

Surendran also questioned why the police took a shoot-to-kill stance and did not attempt to injure and arrest the three.

He said there was no effort made to incapacitate the three.

According to the post-mortem report, he said Muhamad Syamil and Mohd Hairul were shot once in the chest and head while Hanafi Omar was shot twice in the head and once in the chest.

Surendran also questioned why the incident was investigated as “attempted murder” when the victims had died in the incident.

“This shows that the minister is intentionally misleading the House… The incident happened last year but we have only got lies, lies and more lies,” he said.

Syamil Hafiz’s mother, Norhafizah Mohd Razali, said that she was disappointed and angry with the authorities.

“Why must they be shot, why weren’t they taken to court (if they were guilty)?

“I challenge the minister to take action (against the perpetrators); please uphold justice,” she said.

By Tarani Palani | October 20, 2011

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