KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth information chief Shahril Hamdan today voiced his concern over the approach adopted by police in their action against former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
He said the police’s raid on Najib’s Taman Duta home, which continued for more than 18 hours involving almost 50 to 60 policemen on the night of Ramadan, revealed a lack of empathy for Najib, who had openly expressed his commitment to give his full cooperation to the authorities.
“My concern is exacerbated by a statement by Dato’ Sri Najib’s lawyer, who said the police continued to ransack each section of the house despite having said that they would end at 5am,” he said.
Shahril expressed his appreciation over PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, who had also shared her concerns over the events of Wednesday night.
“I am also relieved that within the new Pakatan Harapan government, there is at least one leader who displays a moderate character, which reflects the Malaysian culture of placing emphasis on politeness and courtesy,” he said.
Shahril stressed that he was not questioning the right of the police to conduct an investigation according to procedures consistent with the nation’s laws.
“At the same time, I hope that such actions also take into account that until today, Dato’ Sri Najib, a former prime minister, has served the country immensely since becoming a ‘wakil rakyat’ since he was 22, has not been charged in court and thus, should be accorded the appropriate treatment in line with the principle “innocent until proven guilty” which I am sure is also shared by Pakatan Harapan, who have been championing democracy all this while.
“In this new Malaysia, I hope the authorities will conduct their investigation professionally and fairly in accordance with the laws of the country, and act freely without being subservient or pressured by anyone.”