Zahid Hamidi hits out at critics

This was the question that Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi posed to his critics.

Ahmad Zahid who had been quiet about the criticism that was levelled at him following his statement that the police would not hesitate to shoot criminals first and ask questions later, turned to his Twitter page today to hit back at his critics.

“Where are the human rights for the police and victims of robbery, shootings and murders? Why human rights activists do not protect them? Human rights only for criminals?”, he asked on his Twitter page.

Ahmad Zahid came under fire after a news portal uploaded a audio recording of his speech at a function in Malacca last Saturday.

Ahmad Zahid, in his speech, had said that 28,000 of the 40,000 gang members were identified to be of Indian ethnicity, and that there was nothing wrong in detaining them.

"What is the situation of robbery victims, murder victims during shootings? Most of them are Malays. Most of them are our race.

"I think the best way is that we no longer compromise with them. There is no need to give them any more warning. If we get the evidence, we shoot first," he was recorded as saying.

He has also reportedly said that the secret society, Tiga Line members, were his "friends".

His move was greatly criticised by many quarters including the Bar Council.

Bar Council President Christopher Leong had said that Ahmad Zahid has overstepped the line and may possibly have committed an offence under the Sedition Act 1948.

He added that Ahmad Zahid’s act was shameful and has brought the government and the country into disrepute.