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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Singapore police: we can't comment now</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt_89 <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>7:13 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 1) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>38058.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Singapore police: Inappropriate for us to comment on Abdillah’s case
August 27th, 2010 |
Author: Your Correspondent
According to a Straits Times report today, the Singapore police has declined to comment on the controversial case involving a NSman Mr Abdillah Zamzuri who has been called up for questioning by his reservist unit for blogging on the cuffing of Lianhe Wanbao photo-journalist Mr Shafie Goh.
When contacted by the Straits Times this morning, a police spokesman said:
“It is inappropriate for us to comment as the case is currently under investigation.”
[Source: Straits Times]
Mr Abdillah was called up by his reservist unit for questioning a week after expressing his opinions on his blog and will be charged for “Prejudice to the Conduct of Good Order/Discipline” by the Police Provost and Discipline unit.
The two paragraphs in Mr Abdillah’s blog post which got him into trouble with his unit are as follows:
1. ‘As someone who still reports for reservist duty as a Police Officer, I am well aware of the Penal Code and Statutes that governs and dictates what a Police Officer can and cannot do.’
2. ‘My take on this, sue the damn Singapore Police Force who will then put the officer on suspended patrolling duties, cut salary to half and hold the bonus till he is acquited from the case – THIS IS THE STANDARD PRACTICE.’
Mr Abdillah did not remove the post and it is still available for public viewing here.
In an email interview with Temasek Review, Mr Abdillah revealed that he will be charged internally by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) for “disparaging its image”:
“I was told I will be charged internally by the SPF since I had claimed i was a reservist police officer. They were initially pressing for stiffer charges about disparaging the image of the SPF or something like that but since my intention wasn’t, they gave a different charge.”
This is the first case of a NSman being charged by his reservist unit for posting his views on the internet.
Mr Abdillah is the second person to be questioned lately over his online remarks after Mr Abdul Malik who was arrested three days ago for criticizing Singapore sports minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
The shocking arrest made the headlines of the international media agency Agence France-Presse and reproduced worldwide thereby damaging Singapore’s reputation and reinforcing its image as a repressive police state.
The recent spate of netizens being called up by the police for online postings on very flimsy grounds has eroded public confidence in the competency and impartiality of the Singapore Police Force.
Unlike other democratic states, there is no independent body such as a Public Complaint Bureau for Police Misconduct to check on possible abuses of power by the police.
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According to a Straits Times report today, the Singapore police has declined to comment on the controversial case involving a NSman Mr Abdillah Zamzuri who has been called up for questioning by his reservist unit for blogging on the cuffing of Lianhe Wanbao photo-journalist Mr Shafie Goh.
When contacted by the Straits Times this morning, a police spokesman said:
“It is inappropriate for us to comment as the case is currently under investigation.”
[Source: Straits Times]
Mr Abdillah was called up by his reservist unit for questioning a week after expressing his opinions on his blog and will be charged for “Prejudice to the Conduct of Good Order/Discipline” by the Police Provost and Discipline unit.
The two paragraphs in Mr Abdillah’s blog post which got him into trouble with his unit are as follows:
1. ‘As someone who still reports for reservist duty as a Police Officer, I am well aware of the Penal Code and Statutes that governs and dictates what a Police Officer can and cannot do.’
2. ‘My take on this, sue the damn Singapore Police Force who will then put the officer on suspended patrolling duties, cut salary to half and hold the bonus till he is acquited from the case – THIS IS THE STANDARD PRACTICE.’
Mr Abdillah did not remove the post and it is still available for public viewing here.
In an email interview with Temasek Review, Mr Abdillah revealed that he will be charged internally by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) for “disparaging its image”:
“I was told I will be charged internally by the SPF since I had claimed i was a reservist police officer. They were initially pressing for stiffer charges about disparaging the image of the SPF or something like that but since my intention wasn’t, they gave a different charge.”
This is the first case of a NSman being charged by his reservist unit for posting his views on the internet.
Mr Abdillah is the second person to be questioned lately over his online remarks after Mr Abdul Malik who was arrested three days ago for criticizing Singapore sports minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
The shocking arrest made the headlines of the international media agency Agence France-Presse and reproduced worldwide thereby damaging Singapore’s reputation and reinforcing its image as a repressive police state.
The recent spate of netizens being called up by the police for online postings on very flimsy grounds has eroded public confidence in the competency and impartiality of the Singapore Police Force.
Unlike other democratic states, there is no independent body such as a Public Complaint Bureau for Police Misconduct to check on possible abuses of power by the police.
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