"The 'barua' remark was solely for Khalid, not the entire police force"

The remark “barua” (lackey) that was made by PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali at a ceramah in Kubang Ulu, Permatang Pauh on Monday was solely directed to the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

The Selangor Menteri Besar’s political secretary, Shuhaimi Shafiei in a statement today denied that the phrase was directed at the entire police force.

“Azmin’s question ‘Apakah KPN itu ‘barua’ kepada parti pemerintah?’ (Is the IGP a lackey to the ruling party?) is intended to make the police force think… they should be seen as apolitical, especially in the eyes of the rakyat.

“That question should also be personally answered by the IGP, and not by the Senior Police Officers' Association in a statement,” said Shuhaimi.

In the statement earlier today, the association together with the Police Junior Officers' Association had urged the Selangor MB to make a public apology to the entire police force for insulting them.

READ: Rude statement against IGP, Azmin Ali urged to apologise

This was because the IGP is an institution, and insulting the IGP meant that the entire force is affected, the associations argued.

Shuhaimi said, although the Senior Police Officers' Association (Gazetted Officers Branch) chairman, Datuk Shah Gzali Khan Shahadad had claimed that the police do not interfere in political matters nor do they take sides, it does not seem that way in their treatment towards Pakatan Rakyat leaders and activists as compared to UMNO-Barisan Nasional leaders.

“We have also experienced where a former IGP had assaulted our top leader. Is that an example of ‘police not interfering in political matters and not taking sides?” Shuhaimi questioned.