Cops monitoring turmoil in Myanmar, says IGP

BUKIT AMAN: Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar Tuesday said police are monitoring the political turmoil in Myanmar following the attempted murder and murder of Myanmar politicians.

He said police are also working closely with Interpol and Asean Chief of Police (Aseanapol) to avoid the dispute between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar to spill over in the country.

"We don't encourage Myanmar politicians to hold meetings here given the circumstance in their homeland but it's a free country, as long as they have valid travel documents, we can't bar them from entering Malaysia.

"We can only disallow them from entering given that we have a valid reason," he said on Tuesday.

On Feb 5, two Myanmar political party leaders had narrowly escaped death when a motorcycle pillion rider fired several shots in their direction in Bukit Bintang, in a suspected assassination attempt.

Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP) chairman, Dr Aye Maung, and Arakan League for Democracy Party chairman, Aye Thor Aung, together with two other Myanmar nationals were in a BMW 7 Series car at Jalan Alor when the shots were fired about 11.30pm.

The gunman escaped from the scene in the motorcycle ridden by an accomplice.

The night before the incident, Myanmar national Ko Aung Gyi, 43, was found dead in a car boot in Ampang.

He was an activist with the 88 Generation political group.