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Temubual NST bersama Menteri Dalam Negeri MAT REMPIT PROBLEM Q1: The Mat Rempit menace scares the public so much, even a researcher said that the police were afraid of their sheer numbers. How do you plan to tackle the problem? Hishammuddin: No way the police are afraid of the Mat Rempit. From what I have seen and know, fear is the least of the police’s worry. It’s the question of what to do with them, it’s not just about nabbing then. They’re kids. Secondly, we know that part of the problem is drug related. The other problem is that we can never offer these Mat Rempit a better price than what they are getting right now by winning races. So I’ve looked at some basic questions. There are more motorcycles in Vietnam than in Malaysia, so how come they don’t have Mat Rempit there? They resolved it by getting the community involved. Instead of locking them up, they brought their Mat Rempit to the community and that embarrassed their families. Now it may not be the solution here, but I’m looking at it in different perspectives. At the moment, however, we will just have to go down hard on them. There is no alternative. As far as the Mat Rempit, Ah Long and street crimes are concerned, there will be no tolerance. I’ll be going down to the ground. I’m hoping to meet Ah Long victims and hear from them what they are facing. Is it corruption? Are the police in cahoots with them? Is it a question of related crimes, like organized crimes, prostitution rings and drugs? Q2: This is a really huge effort then, going into the roots and connections of these crimes. Hishammuddin: It will be worthwhile. It’s not a question of being popular. If I’m going to focus on it, it’s got to be the bigger picture. It affects the psyche of the public, people worry about their safety and it’s related to many other crimes. What I’m trying to do is get to the root of the problems because we are determining the landscape of Malaysia for the next 50 years or so, and it’s about getting the template right. It must be addressed in a holistic way. And it’s not just a matter of just arresting (Wrongdoers), bringing them to justice and then locking them up. Then what happens when they come out? We are also talking about rehabilitation. Q3: We don’t really have a focused effort when it comes to the rehabilitation of criminals. Hishammuddin: People just look at it in the context of arrests and detention. If you don’t reduce the issue of congestion in the prisons, how are we going to rehabilitate them? One of the issues I need to look at is the detention facilities, that is, our prisons. I realised that the majority of those detained are not Malaysian. So we need to address the issue of whether it is about building more prisons, or is it addressing the issue of non-Malaysian prisoners. That is why recently I said maybe by working closely with our Asean neighbours and with mutual understanding, we can immediately reduce the congestion in our prisons. If they are willing to take some of their prisoners and we take back some of ours through a mutual bilateral arrangement, then we could immediately reduce the stress in our prisons and we can talk about rehabilitation. Because they are foreigners, they will be going back to their countries. So we need to spend our resources on people who will go back to Malaysian society. This is about separation of immigration and rehabilitation issues. POLICE BRUTALITY Q4: We had the controversial A. Kugan case last year, and it cast a negative light on the force again. Will you be looking at this-improving and ensuring the security and protection of rights among the detainees and those held in prison? Hishammuddin: This requires political will and engagement. Not witch hunting. Justice for all, which includes the police. We must have clear facts. We have to be more cautions now with people under our custody. We have to bring in medical officers and all. At the end of day, after all the allegations from the recent case for example, it was shown that the prisoner had died from infection from drug abuse, and that was independently verified. But then the damage had been done. I think all I can do about that is promise that nobody is above the law. Including the police, the IGP or myself. We will and have to show that whatever we do is within what the law permits where the evidence is very clear and not just hearsay. We will be consistent all the way through, from arrests to prosecution and sentencing. REVIEW OF STATUTES Q5: What about the review of acts such as the Internal Security Act? What is the progress of such efforts and what are the outdated features that are going to be removed or changed? Hishammuddin: From my assessment, nearly all the statutes under the ministry are outdated and need to be reviewed. The first phase is completed. We’ve got the legal experts in every agency, department and division to come on board. We want all of them to sit down and look at statutes that govern them and the ministry, and come up with a common stand on which one needs to be re-looked and reviewed. We already have a special team of legal minds. Next we have to bring in the non-governmental organizations, the Bar Council and representatives of the public, such as the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation. And then we will announce, at the appropriate time which ones will be reviewed. Of course, everyone focuses on the ISA. The PM has already said we will review it, and we are going to. No qualms about it. I think a lot of things have been demonised, whether it’s because of politics, the fear of the unknown or personal agenda. No point defending something for the sake of defending it. I want to do what is right. The US has its Patriot Act; Britain has its own anti-terrorism statutes, so let’s look at the threats facing us today. We want to see whether ISA can address that, or maybe other preventive acts can fulfill that. Which aspect of the ISA is so offensive? Some people don’t even know what is in the act. Is it length of time without trial? Britain’s is 28 days, ours is 60. Or is it the issue of illegal assembly? If you’re talking about illegal assembly, I see the police are giving out permits for lots of assemblies right now, provided they are done within a controlled environment. Q6: But what people find so offensive is when political activists, journalists or bloggers are detained under the act, that is what differentiates it with the other antiterrorisms laws. Hishammuddin: Yes, and we listened and we learnt. Since the PM has come in, how many ISA detainees have been released? Q7: Well are we looking at the end of that era? Hishammuddin: I believe so. But let’s find out the real reason why the ISA is there, let’s be consistent and explain to the public, communicate it to them and not abuse it. Don’t doubt my sincerity and integrity in dealing with this ministry. The ISA is used if you are a real threat to the nation and there are no other laws to detain you. It’s all a question of priorities and explaining it to the public. It’s a bit too early now for me to articulate but rest assured we are going to review it. GOING TO THE GROUND Q8: Let’s talk about you going down to the ground. It is going to be like when you used to burst into cyber cafes during your stint as education minister? Hishammuddin: Well, not as rash or spontaneous perhaps. Because we are dealing with serious and potentially risky situations. We’ll be looking at things like organized crime. I have to be a bit more cautious. But yes, I want to see the crime factors on the streets, and I want to see the hot spots of the Ah Longs, Mat Rempit and snatch thieves. I’ve already been down to prisons and seen the congestion. I’ve had all the briefings, now I want to see whether it tallies with what’s on the ground. I want people to know that this government is serious about looking into what really affects the people out there. TIME FOR US TO ENGAGE, CHANGE Q9: What will you do about corruption in the force? Obviously, we have had reports about this and how few prosecutions there have been. Hishammuddin: Yes, like have said, even I am not above the law. We have institutions set up and for all I welcome them to investigate every aspect my life. And this applies to all my officers too. If any of my officers are found to be guilty. I will encourage and find ways to make sure they are brought to justice. At the same time, if we expect them committed to their work, there must be a sense of making sure that their welfare is also looked after. I need to do both. I need to be firm and they need leadership by example. They also need to know I am there for them. I want to inject new commitments and new ideals. It just takes a small group of people to tarnish the whole institution. However, I really believe the institutions, whether it is immigration or the police, are still intact overall. Q10: This is obviously such a different ministry for you to be in now, from dealing with children, to dealing with cops and criminals. How does it feel? Hishammuddin: Totally different. I thought I had been through it all, criticisms, controversies and all kinds of tests. I thought I’d been tested enough, 11 years of Pemuda and five years ministry of education (laughs). Until I came here, and found out there’s so much for me to learn, so much more responsibility. The ministry is smaller so it’s quite easy to fine-tune and restructure. The issues are not so complex. It’s whether you are right or not corrupt or not. Whether you want to do the right thing. No grey areas. But what I find difficult is the weight of responsibility of this ministry. You are carrying the safety and security of 26 million people in a landscape that is very political and fanned by religious and racial issues. But having said that, I feel privileged and honoured to see the prison or police officers on the ground. The structure is there and it’s not prefect , but we are not a lost case. This is a wake-up call. It’s time for us to move, to engage, to change. Sumber : |
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