PETALING JAYA: The police officer who allegedly raped two Mongolian women has been suspended, says Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal (pic).
He said the letter of suspension was handed over to the suspect on Wednesday.
ACP Nik Ezanee said the two victims along with three others had been placed under an interim protection order (IPO).
“We have taken the investigation paper to Bukit Aman and there are a few instructions that we need to execute before presenting it to the deputy public prosecutor, ” he said yesterday.
The two foreign women were allegedly raped after they were stopped at a movement control order (MCO) roadblock.
The suspect was arrested based on police intelligence and was subsequently released on bail.
The two victims and three friends have been placed in a shelter under the IPO.
However, Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah and Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lim Yi Wei, in a statement, said they should instead be protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act.
“The Bar Council and 18 NGOs have rightly raised the question of using the Anti-Trafficking In Persons and Smuggling of Migrants Act (Atipsom) instead of the Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA) 2010.
“The WPA will prevent the five women from being retained in any form of custody and from unnecessary inquisition into their immigration status.
“Other than risking their well-being, the continued usage of Atipsom may derail the focus of the primary offence, that is rape, ” they said.
They urged that the IPO under Atipsom be set aside and the five women be released.
“The focus should be on rape investigation and charging the perpetrator without delay.
“We also note that the inspector was recently released on bail.
“If the alleged perpetrator can be released on bail, victims and whistleblowers should be accorded the same treatment, ” they said.
Considering the recent Interna-tional Women’s Day celebrations in March, and the Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month in April, they urged that no stone be left unturned and transparency be the order of the day in this investigation.“Over the course of the MCO, public sentiment towards the police has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Many citizens have a newfound appreciation for the police’s hard work in patrolling and manning roadblocks, be it rain or shine.
“In Petaling Jaya, we have also been fortunate that tackling crime has not taken a back seat, as seen with the arrest of two burglary gangs on April 20, ” they said, adding that due to the MCO’s “one person per car” ruling, more women were travelling alone.
They said while there might be more men in supermarkets these days, single mothers, single women caring for elderly parents and women who still travel to work in essential services every day must be remembered.
“These women and other
vulnerable communities should be able to travel safely at all times, without fear of harassment, ” they said.
