Muhyiddin puzzled over how Jamal fled from police custody

PUTRAJAYA: Fugitive politician Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos might have escaped to Indonesia through illegal channels, says Tan Sri Muhyiddin.

The Home Minister said he was also puzzled as everyone else as to how the Umno Sungai Besar chief could have fled from police custody.

“We will look into all these things.

“There are issues of negligence and poor management in this case, which I am not happy with.

“I am as concerned as you are,” he told reporters at the Immigration Department headquarters here on Tuesday.

“Any culprit who created problems for the nation cannot be let off scot-free. We need to take proper action according to the law.

“I have spoken to the Inspector-General of Police and should any disciplinary action be taken against the police personnel involved who were negligent in their duties, I will leave the matter to him”.

Earlier Tuesday, Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Mazlan Mansor promised stern action against the police officer and personnel who were on duty when Jamal gave them the slip at Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital.

“We will not tolerate such mistakes,” he told The Star.

Meanwhile, Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said it was difficult to tell if Jamal had left the country through legal or illegal channels.

“We do not know. If he had left through legal channels, we would definitely have detected him,” he said.

Jamal was under police remand at the Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital's premium ward, where he was undergoing treatment for back pain.

He was found missing by Shah Alam Court assistant registrar Rahasbiah Abd Rahman when she turned up to issue his bail.
Jamal's lawyer later said there was a misunderstanding over the matter.
Jamal then promised to present himself to the police on May 30, but failed to do so.

Later, he released a video of himself at an oil palm plantation, where he claimed there was an effort by certain parties to direct the police to frame him at any cost.
He is being investigated for at least six offences, including creating public nuisance by breaking bottles of alcohol to protest the Better Beer Festival at the Selangor state secretariat building on Oct 5 last year.
An arrest warrant was issued for him last Friday (June 1) for the offence of escaping or resisting police custody.

Police have launched a manhunt called Ops Tutup to find him. He has since fled to Indonesia, and Malaysian police said they were working with their counterparts there to track him down.