Call Taib in first, Siah tells police

KUCHING – “Call Taib Mahmud in to the police station first and then I will also go in to have my statement recorded” was Francis Paul Siah’s request to the police today.

The Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) leader revealed that a police officer from the CID department in Kuching called him on Friday  afternoon asking him to go to the station to record a statement.

“I politely told the officer that I would be prepared to do that after the police call in the chief minister to have his statement recorded as well.

“After all, I lodged a police report against Taib first (on March 13) for corruption, money laundering and abuse of power. Surely, there are more reasons to investigate the CM than to probe me,” Siah said.

He appealed to the Sarawak police not to practice ‘double standard’ in their law enforcement work.

“Is there one law to deal with the powerful like Taib and another for an ordinary citizen like me?” Siah asked.

He stressed that part of MoCS agenda for Sarawak was to inculcate a new political culture for the state and “it is apparent now that a new work culture for an important law enforcement agency such as the police department has to be included in our agenda.”

“I urge the police not to be subservient to political masters. Even the king is not above the law."

Siah said he was informed a long time ago that whenever a new Sarawak Police Commissioner had to be appointed, Bukit Aman would have to send the name to be vetted by the CM first.

“It would be disgustingly unprofessional if such a thing is still being practiced today. It only gives PDRM a bad name,” he said.

Siah assured the police that MoCS is a responsible citizen rights movement and will continue to operate within the law.

“However, it is the duty of the police to not only ensure that citizens abide by the law but that the laws of the land are also being enforced in a just and fair manner,” he said.

On the police reports lodged by PBB implying that he was a security threat, Siah responded, “I’m a nobody. How can a nobody be a security threat?”

“Karim Hamzah (CM’s chief political secretary) has described me as a “loner with no following”. Then Wan Hamzah Paie (PBB Youth Kuching Zone spokesperson) claimed that I was planning a demonstration with 200,000 supporters.

“I am confused. Now, is the police acting on just the imagination of some PBB people? That is the nagging question,” he said.