Suaram coordinator R Thevarajan, in a statement today, also called on civil society to join a campaign seeking the immediate sacking of Ahmad Zahid as home minister.
"It is indeed a sad day for all Malaysians that, in this day and age and while the prime minister pays lip service to reform and transformation, we have a home minister who secretly supports gangsters, who is a rabid racist and who does not understand the meaning of the rule of law,” he said.
In a speech recorded at an event in Malacca last Saturday, Ahmad Zahid had said that the Tiga Line, an underworld group outlawed by his own ministry, should continue doing what needs to be done. He had also made racist remarks.
In light of this, Thevarajan said a special inquiry must be set up to investigate the Tiga Line gang and its connections to the home minister and his party, and how long the links have existed.
azlanHe further said Ahmad Zahid's 'shoot-first' admission proves Suaram's assertion over many years and explains the continual increase in the number of deaths through police shooting.
"This exposes the home minister's complete ignorance of the rule of law and he has effectively denied the fundamental rights of individuals guaranteed under the federal constitution," he said.
This, Thevarajan said, is a violation of the concept of ‘innocent until proven guilty’, as well as Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - on the right to fair and public hearing by an impartial tribunal when charged with a criminal offence.
In calling for a full overhaul of the police standard operating procedure in light of the revelation, he also criticised Ahmad Zahid for holding "bigoted prejudices".
The minister had suggested that gangs are headed by Chinese Malaysians, that the operators are Indian Malaysians and the victims are Malays.
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