KUALA LUMPUR: The face-off between the federal authorities and the Penang state government over the legal status of Penang’s Voluntary Patrol Unit (PPS) continued yesterday, with Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi defending the arrest of the unit’s members by the police a day earlier.

Ahmad Zahid said the arrests of 156 PPS members after the Merdeka celebrations in Penang on Sunday was done after Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had challenged the Inspector-General of Police to act against them, The Malaysian Insider reported.

The Home Minister said police had advised Penang on the PPS issue over the past few years but the Penang chief minister chose to ignore it.

“The action was also taken after police received an official letter from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) stating that PPS was not a registered organisation,” said Ahmad Zahid after officiating at the Umno Segambut division meeting in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

He said the police had acted according to the law.

“Guan Eng dared to challenge the IGP, so he has to face legal action,” said Ahmad Zahid when asked if police were going to act against the Penang chief minister.

He said police carried their responsibility and fairly — even in the states controlled by Pakatan Rakyat.

He said the authorities had received many reports that PPS members had behaved unlawfully and threatened the public, and even used abusive language as if they were carrying enforcement work and not keeping the peace.

He said Guan Eng previously asked the police and Home Minister to approve the state application to have auxiliary police attached to the state municipal council.

“At that time, we received information that there was something not right with the request so we did not approve it. I cannot tell you the details,” said Ahmad Zahid.

On Sunday, police also arrested Penang executive councillor Phee Boon Poh for his involvement in the PPS.

Phee is the state exco member in charge of the unit.

He was arrested when he went to the Northeast police headquarters to give his statement about 4.30pm accompanied by Guan Eng and Seri Delima assemblyman RSN Rayer.

The arrests came after IGP declared the PPS illegal.

He had also tweeted a warning that the PPS leadership should turn themselves in if they did not wish to have their homes raided by police.

Phee spoke to The Malaysian Insider on Sunday, saying that the unit’s scope included quick response to emergencies and disasters, and does not include enforcement powers.

He said the PPS was formed to help with community policing following lukewarm response from the federal government to their requests to increase Rukun Tetangga and Rela Corps to heighten security in the state.

The IGP told Bernama that PPS had strayed from its original objectives after police reports were lodged against its members.

PPS members were alleged to have assaulted journalists and members of the public, which prompted the lodging of several police reports. — The Malaysian Insider


This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on September 2, 2014.