YOURSAY 'Zahid, this is a national concern so you are required to explain why and how the weapons were lost. We will talk about it all we want.'

No more talk on weapons lost by police!

Kim Quek: The fact that the police chief has to speculate the cause of weapon loss as probably having dropped into the sea indicates that he does not know the exact circumstances of these losses.

This is a serious dereliction of duty as for such serious breaches as disappearance of weapons, each such occurrence must be promptly and thoroughly probed, remedial action (including punishment) taken and the full facts recorded.

Obviously, the police have done none of these. Under the circumstances, how could Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi declare that there was no criminal element?

Unless Zahid can produce past reports on each of these scores of weapon disappearances, detailing the exact circumstances, the culprits, disciplinary action and remedies taken to avoid future occurrence, he must withdraw his declaration of innocence and apologise to the public, and in particular to the Malaysiakini reporter who was repeatedly insulted and ordered by him to stop asking further question on this subject.

Kee Thuan Chye: How could Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi accept the inspector-general of police's (IGP) explanation that the guns fell into the sea without even questioning the logic behind it?

How could so many guns 'fall into the sea'? Where are the reports made by the police personnel who had lost the guns? Do the reports say the guns fell into the sea and how?

The IGP cannot run from that. He must show proof by showing the public those reports.

Baiyuensheng: Those who possess firearms can be hanged. But for those who lose them, nothing much happens.

Franklyspeaking: Zahid, human error in losing 44 weapons and not properly reporting it is a big offence. How can you be so blase about it? How can you conclude there is no foul play when there is no report?

How do you know these weapons didn't go missing as it could have been material evidence in crimes allegedly committed by the police?

MyWatch chairperson R Sri Sanjeevan was shot (after making an expose against the police), perhaps those weapons were used and then conveniently went missing? How will we ever know?

Pissed Off: Zahid, we pay your salary and we have the right to ask all the questions we want. You have the responsibility to respond in a respectful way and accurately to these questions.

Toonarmy: Zahid, this is a national concern so you are required to explain why and how those weapons were lost. We will talk about it all we want.

Don't you start getting too big headed just because you have the PCA (Prevention of Crime Act) in your pocket.

Anonymous_3e86: How did Zahid know the loss of the guns was not due to a breach of trust, deviant acts or elements of bribery? Were there any investigations carried out? Were the weapons sold to the underworld?

Why is he afraid to answer any more questions on the issue? Afraid that he has no logical answers to these questions besides the "lost at sea" explanation?

He said, "More and more people are trusting the police." Where did he get that idea? Is he hallucinating?

CQ Muar: Zahid replied the question as though these were toy guns - just like that.

Of course, money lost wasn't of much significance to them as the guns belonged to the rakyat, but what is of significance are 44 offensive weapons falling into the hands of wrong people. Fancy the extent of potential terror that results from there.

Zahid certainly sounds like a dictator brushing aside the people's right to demand answers, just to defend the police. Who in Umno will doubt his bold stand when the party polls come up?

Lawfool: How can you question the police? It is their right to lose weapons, make errors, misplace things... Government auditors are too much, they should be more tolerant and not report such things. It will tarnish the police's name.

Anonymous #22878930: Can the auditor-general's annual report be discontinued in the interest of the taxpayer? Can someone indicate how much is spent by the Auditor-General's office in putting this report together?

Don't we all lose something sometime? Is it such a big crime just to lose a few items? As a percentage, the missing guns are probably not significant at all.

Gen Half Track: Losing weapons by any means is a very serious offence. Telling the auditor-general not to highlight any such loss in his annual report is implying that he should cover it up, and this is appalling.

Cool, Zahid, no need to fly off the handle. We, the Joe public, just want to know the truth.

MissPandora: In the world of the normal people, when we make a mistake, we investigate it to find the root cause. Then we find corrective actions to rectify the mistake and we implement a preventive plan.

But in the world of BN, there should be no more talk and everyone must shut up.

Peter Clement Goh: What's the purpose of the auditor-general's report, when no one in authority even bothers to take action, and instead, would rather sweep everything under the carpet?

Versey: On what basis and evidence can this home minister, who is on this new job less than half a year, could be so sure that "the loss was not due to a breach of trust, deviant acts or elements of bribery"?

If the loss were "because of carelessness and mistakes made in the line of duty" as he says, is there any evidence to support that appropriate disciplinary action has been taken accordingly against the careless police officers?

Last but not the least, the question that perturbs me is, judging from the way the home minister responded to the Malaysiakini reporter.

If the reporter was persistent in his/her given duty as what any foreign journalist would have done in a peculiar case like this, would he/she be subjected to the newly passed PCA?

If so, what assurance could the rakyat rest on that the auditor-general would report dutifully as normal in the next audit?

Absalom: This is the reason why, in the private sector, especially in good companies, employees are sent for training to understand their role in the scheme of things and to perform in that role to the best of their ability.

Otherwise you have a misfit who does not understand his job scope or what results are expected of him and who he is answerable to.

A minister is just a public servant, nothing more. He is not head-hunted. He is there because he wants to be and promises to serve the people. He is paid from the taxes that ordinary people pay and at the end of his service, he gets to enjoy a fat pension.

The press is there because we taxpayers cannot be there to ask the minister. Journalists ask questions on our behalf. The least you can do is answer the questions, even if you are not good for much else.

Home minister, hands off the journalists!

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