Bukit Aman calls up Asri Janggut as IGP described prayer claim as 'outrageous'

Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador has described the claim made by Hot Burger Malaysia owner Mohd Asri Hamid that police personnel tend to skip prayers, as outrageous just as police also confirmed today that the 42-year-old entrepreneur will be called in to give his statement over the matter.

The Inspector-General of Police, when met by the media, earlier today, said the matter should not have been raised in public in the first place.

"This (prayer) is between us and God and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has never put religious obligations aside. Moral and religious education have always been encouraged in the force.

"People need to know that PDRM also has hafiz (individuals who memorise the Quran) and every district police headquarters nationwide has a surau (prayer room)," he told reporters after the hand-over of duties ceremony of the Bukit Aman Logistics and Technology Department director at the Senior Officers' Mess, Bukit Aman, here, today.

He said that infrastructure and space for each officer and personnel to perform their respective religious duties have also been provided and new recruits are also required to undergo a religious test.

Meanwhile, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) deputy director (Investigation/ Legal), DCP Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said that Mohd Asri, known as Asri Janggut, will be called in to give a statement this week by the CID Classified Criminal Investigation Unit.

He said an investigation was being carried out after two police reports were lodged at the Travers and Jalan Tun Razak police stations, here, today over the matter.

"The investigation is being conducted in accordance with Section 505 (c) of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998," he told Bernama.

Yesterday, a 31-second video clip showed Asri Janggut, in a press conference claiming that the police and military personnel tend to skip their prayers.

--BERNAMA