Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail took a swipe at human rights groups and others today, accusing them of being selective in their criticism of the police.
Saifuddin said these groups had been quick to condemn the suggestion by Kelantan police chief Yusoff Mamat to prosecute both parties in underage consensual sex cases, but remained silent when officers were attacked or injured on duty.
“When police are injured or pelted with stones, there’s silence. Not a single word was heard from these groups,” Bernama quoted him as saying.
“If you want to be a human rights advocate, be one across the board.”
The most recent example of officers being injured on duty was on Sept 11, when Dang Wangi police chief Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman was struck on the head by an object flung during a standoff between authorities and residents of Kampung Sungai Baru. Eleven people were later arrested.
Commenting on Yusoff’s proposal, Saifuddin said it was his personal opinion, not government policy.
“He gave his opinion based on the data and cases reported in Kelantan, which suggest that many of these incidents involve consensual acts. That’s his perspective,” he said.
Yusoff had said that nearly 90% of statutory rape cases reported in the state involved consent by both parties, though the existing laws leaned more towards prosecuting only the men.
He said that further discussions on the issue would be held with the relevant stakeholders, including the Kelantan Islamic religious affairs department and the education department, to find more effective preventive measures.
