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| Southeast Asia |
| Abdullah slams police negligence in jailbreak |
| 2004-07-06 |
| BANGI - It has happened one time too many. Yesterday, Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi attributed the breakout of 11 detainees from Puchong police station on Saturday to negligence and made it clear he did not want to see a recurrence of such incidents. He asked the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Mohamad Bakri Omar, to direct his men to be on the alert at all times and give serious attention to the matter. The detainees, nabbed in a recent operation to arrest snatch thieves, escaped through the ceiling of the double-storey station building. Since 1991, at least 29 people had escaped from police custody in Malaysia where the lock-ups are overcrowded. The police, who managed to arrest five of Saturday's escapees, said there were 76 detainees in the lock-up meant for just 18 people. Two of the escapees, G. Nantha Kumaran, 20, and Rosly Yaakub, 29, were spotted yesterday by the police as they were walking along a street wearing stolen T-shirts, shorts and slippers. The other three escapees were arrested minutes after they escaped. Datuk Seri Abdullah, who is also Internal Security Minister, said that breakouts should not happen. There was negligence at the lock-up where Saturday's escape took place, he said, adding that the police must continue with efforts to catch the rest of the escapees. More detention cells with better security features should be built soon, said Criminal Investigation Department Director Commissioner Datuk Musa Hassan. The police will double the manpower at Puchong station, he said, adding that any action against the men on duty there on Saturday will be taken after investigations have been completed. A special task force is tracking the other escapees. |
| Posted by:Fred |