PPS issue could have been resolved earlier - Penang Bar
PPS issue could have been resolved earlier - Penang Bar
The controversy surrounding the Penang Voluntary Patrol Squad (PSS) could have been resolved much earlier if the state government and police had took action before the issue got out of hand, said Penang Bar chairman Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor.
“This issue could have been resolved much earlier, like four years ago. PPS should have had itself registered with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to become a legalised entity. The police and parties involved could have had a dialogue rather than wait for things to get out of control.
"It seems that neither party took action," Abdul Fareed told Astro AWANI today.
"The fact is PPS is not registered. The state government maintained that the unit came under its purview. But there is no enactment to legalise them. If the state government wants to challenge the entire thing, it will have to file a suit in court to seek clarification that PPS is a legal entity.
"We have to let the investigation take its process for the time being," he added.
On Sunday, police detained 154 members of PPS after they participated in a Merdeka Day rally at Padang Kota, Penang.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the PPS members, including seven women, were detained at 10.15am to facilitate investigations for breaching regulations under Section 41 of the Societies Act.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng Lim, however, maintained that PPS came under the jurisdiction of the state government and that it would defend its members.
Lim added that he will let the court to determine PPS’s legitimacy.
"The state is taking full responsibility for PPS and we will respect the law if the court makes a decision.
"We do not have any problem with the police, we're just not satisfied with the statement made by the Inspector-General which is not in accordance with the law," he was quoted as saying in a Bernama report today.
Lim has also challenged Khalid Abu Bakar to a debate over the arrest of the PPS members, including its chairman Phee Boon Poh.
Phee, who is the state's welfare, caring society and environment committee chairman, was released at the Northeast District police headquarters earlier this evening after being detained on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Seri Delima assemblyman RSN Rayer has been detained to assist in the police investigation in the case.
Rayer, who is the PPS chairman for Seri Delima, was detained at 6pm when he came to the Timur Laut police headquarters to handle the release of PPS members who were in remand.
Earlier today, Penang police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi said police would carry out a statewide crackdown on the rest of PPS members - estimated to be around 9,200 members - as the group has been declared illegal.
Rahim said initial investigations showed four of the detained members tested positive for drugs. Eleven of them had previous criminal records.
Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin took to Twitter to voice his criticism against the PPS unit.
He questioned as to why the state government had not worked with the police’s Rakan Cop programme instead.
The Umno Youth Chief also posted a photo of the PPS members putting up DAP flags on the streets.
"PPS is eradicating crime in Penang while carrying the flags of the state government's party?" Khairy tweeted.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he fully supports the action of the police in arresting the PPS members (PPS) because the team ignored warnings not to carry out any activities as it had been declared an illegal society by the ROS.
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