Handcuffs attached to an apartment window by a police personnel, who allegedly skipped rent in Ampang, may partly explain why handcuffs are top on the list of assets lost by the police force.
The pair of handcuffs was found by landlord Teoh Kheng Hong (left) in the Pandan Indah unit, after the errant tenant – a police personnel only identified as Azlan – decided to move out after five months of not paying rent.
“He (used to) bank in (the rental) to me every month but I discovered he had not been making the payment for three months from April. I then gave him another three months to move out.
“He paid me once in May and went missing at the end of July after informing me that he will move out,” Teoh told reporters today.
The handcuffs were not the only police assets found in the unit, which was left in a “filthy” condition.
Also found in the unit were several police record books and a pair of police boots, prompting Teoh to lodge a police report against his tenant for fear of any criminal element involved.
Case closed, say police
However, police responded by issuing a letter closing the case two weeks ago, saying that “no arrest can be made” and advised him to forward the case to the magistrate's court for further action.
Visiting the unit today, Gerakan public complaints bureau chief Ben Liew said this was not the first complaint he has encountered about police personnel not paying their house rent.
“This is the third complaint I have received. I have solved the previous two cases as they were willing to clear the payments.
“But this case is serious because the policeman left his handcuff locked on the window, as if threatening the owner by showing the ‘power’ of the police,” Liew said.
The handcuffs, Liew said, is like a pistol and should be kept close to the personnel at all times.
“How can the police carry out their duties if their handcuff is left at home?” he asked.
Criminal offence
Also present was lawyer Mak Kah Keong, who called this a criminal case as the police personnel can be charged under the Police Act 1967 for leaving the handcuffs around.
“After a report was made, the police should come and investigate who the handcuff belongs to, because owner of the house might be held responsible for it.
“There could also be more police assets being left in the house, like bullets or a pistol, which we have not seen. They (the police) can’t just say this is a civil case and that it does not concern them… This is also about police discipline,” Mak said.
Liew added that they will forward the complaint to the Pandan Indah police station, where Teoh made his police report, and to the Bukit Aman police headquarters, if necessary.
The recently-released Public Accounts Committee (PAC) reportrevealed that the actual number of missing police assets was higher than initially stated in the Auditor-General’s Report 2012.
Missing police assets comprised 156 handcuffs, 44 firearms, 36 police vehicles, 56 walkie-talkies, five computers, three cameras, two mobile phones and 35 unidentified items.
KAE MIN GOH is a trainee journalist at Malaysiakini.
The pair of handcuffs was found by landlord Teoh Kheng Hong (left) in the Pandan Indah unit, after the errant tenant – a police personnel only identified as Azlan – decided to move out after five months of not paying rent.“He (used to) bank in (the rental) to me every month but I discovered he had not been making the payment for three months from April. I then gave him another three months to move out.
“He paid me once in May and went missing at the end of July after informing me that he will move out,” Teoh told reporters today.
The handcuffs were not the only police assets found in the unit, which was left in a “filthy” condition.
Also found in the unit were several police record books and a pair of police boots, prompting Teoh to lodge a police report against his tenant for fear of any criminal element involved.
Case closed, say police
However, police responded by issuing a letter closing the case two weeks ago, saying that “no arrest can be made” and advised him to forward the case to the magistrate's court for further action.
Visiting the unit today, Gerakan public complaints bureau chief Ben Liew said this was not the first complaint he has encountered about police personnel not paying their house rent.“This is the third complaint I have received. I have solved the previous two cases as they were willing to clear the payments.
“But this case is serious because the policeman left his handcuff locked on the window, as if threatening the owner by showing the ‘power’ of the police,” Liew said.
The handcuffs, Liew said, is like a pistol and should be kept close to the personnel at all times.
“How can the police carry out their duties if their handcuff is left at home?” he asked.
Criminal offence
Also present was lawyer Mak Kah Keong, who called this a criminal case as the police personnel can be charged under the Police Act 1967 for leaving the handcuffs around.
“After a report was made, the police should come and investigate who the handcuff belongs to, because owner of the house might be held responsible for it.
“There could also be more police assets being left in the house, like bullets or a pistol, which we have not seen. They (the police) can’t just say this is a civil case and that it does not concern them… This is also about police discipline,” Mak said.Liew added that they will forward the complaint to the Pandan Indah police station, where Teoh made his police report, and to the Bukit Aman police headquarters, if necessary.
The recently-released Public Accounts Committee (PAC) reportrevealed that the actual number of missing police assets was higher than initially stated in the Auditor-General’s Report 2012.
Missing police assets comprised 156 handcuffs, 44 firearms, 36 police vehicles, 56 walkie-talkies, five computers, three cameras, two mobile phones and 35 unidentified items.
KAE MIN GOH is a trainee journalist at Malaysiakini.
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