BMC: Cop admits using force
A police officer today admitted the police had to use ‘force’ against 23-year old mechanic Chang Jiun Haur after the latter refused to co-operate and come out from his car during the Bandar Mahkota Cheras (BMC) fracas on May 27.
A police officer today admitted the police used ‘force’ against 23-year-old mechanic Chang Jiun Haur after the latter allegedly refused to come out from his car during the Bandar Mahkota Cheras (BMC) fracas on May 27.
Inspector Muhammad Hasmizal Hassan (
left
), who took the stand at the Human Rights Commission's (Suhakam) public inquiry on alleged police brutality, said Chang kicked him as he was trying to pull the latter out from the car.
The 28-year-old inspector also told the Suhakam panel the car driven by Chang was speeding towards police officers controlling the traffic, hitting two of them.
"I heard an accelerating engine sound from an oncoming car. Then, I saw an officer fell as the car stopped. However, I did not see the officer being knocked by the car, but I saw him fell (down)," Hasmizal said.
He then instructed the Federal Reserves Unit (FRU) personnel to stop the car and get Chang and his three passengers out of the vehicle.
Hasmizal also said the police used "force" only as a last resort after failing to get cooperation from Chang.
"I said, 'please co-operate with us, please get out of the car' but he (Chang) refused," Hasmizal told the inquiry.
He then dragged Chang out of the car after the other three passengers agreed to get out of the vehicle.
"I grabbed his shoulder first and his shirt got ripped. On my second try in getting him out of the car, he kicked me on my right leg. So I had to back off," the inspector added.
He also said Chang’s injury was caused by a fall on the pavement as he was being dragged from the car.
"At that point of time when other FRU personnel and police officers grabbed him out of the car, his face hit the car door.
"Then he fell down on the pavement and that was when I noticed that his face was injured," Hasmizal continued.
'I saw him kicking Hasmizal'
Another officer, constable Ezez Johari, 26, who also took the stand today, said he witnessed the fracas and saw Chang kicking Hasmizal.
Ezez (
left
) said he was first to arrive at the scene when the car stopped. He tried to open the car door, but Chang quickly wound up his window.
"I was not successful. As I pulled out my hand, he quickly put his window up and locked the car," said Ezez, adding that one FRU personnel then smashed open the car window with a pump gun.
The constable also told the inquiry Hasmizal had ordered him to yank the car keys out from the ignition as the engine was still running.
"I tried to get the key, but somehow I was not successful. After that, there were several other FRU personnel trying to get the key. But in the end, the key ended up breaking into two," said Ezez.
When asked in detail, Ezez said he saw Hasmizal trying to get Chang out of the car and he saw his colleague being kicked by Chang.
"That was when several FRU personnel had to ambush the car and the boy (Chang) was dragged out of it," said Ezez.
Last month, Chang testified that he was allegedly pulled out of his car and assaulted for no apparent reason.
The mechanic also claimed that he was trying to make a U-turn when he spotted the police blockade on the road.
He said he was driving about 20-30 km per hour as there were other cars in front of his Proton Wira.
This was when the police personnel had allegedly mobbed his car and started kicking and hitting it with their batons.
The Suhakam inquiry, held in Menara Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, resumed today after a five-week break and is due to end on Friday.
The inquiry panel is headed by commissioner Zaitoon Othman, and includes commissioners Dr Chiam Heng Keng and Khalid Ibrahim.
Among those who were asked to testify were Malaysiakini journalists Syed Jaymal Zahiid and Lee Weng Keat and videographer Ng Kok Foong. All three testified last month.
Terms of reference
The panel's three-point terms of reference are:
a) To inquire whether or not any law enforcement personnel, in performance of their duty to maintain law and order, had used excessive force during the incident;
b) If there was excessive use of force, whether there was any violation of human rights of any person or persons and, who were responsible for such violations, and
c) To recommend what action to be taken against those responsible for the violation of human rights.
