July 19, 2012
BERSIH unhappy with Hanif Panel’s Weak Response
by Malaysiakini
BERSIH has slammed the Hanif Panel’s comment, that the Police had not acted professionally during the April 28 rally for electoral reform, as a “weak response” in the face of evidence of police brutality.
The BERSIH steering committee was unhappy with comments by Hanif Omar (left), head of the government-formed inquiry into alleged BERSIH violence, as reported in theSun on Tuesday.
The report quoted Hanif as saying, “These certain Police officers did not handle the protesters in a professional way,” after viewing videos of police giving protesters “uncalled for slaps”.
BERSIH, in a statement today, said Hanif’s comments flew in the face of 
witness testimonies at the Malaysian Human Rights Commission’s (Suhakam) concurrent public inquiry on the same rally, that described “excessive and completely unjustified violence.”
“Hanif said that Kuala Lumpur Chief Police Officer Mohmad Salleh, who was observing through monitors in the Bukit Aman control centre, saw police handling the protesters in an unprofessional manner.
“(However, he) does not acknowledge the brutal and excessive force used by the police as depicted in the medical reports of some protesters,” the coalition’s steering committee said.
Hanif also reportedly told the English daily that he would personally write to the BERSIH steering committee and the Bar Council to invite them to meet the panel. However, the BERSIH coalition again snubbed the invitation.
“BERSIH reiterates its objections to the panel itself as well as to Hanif’s appointment as its chairperson and will not engage with it due to the bias and composition of the investigative panel,” they said.
Prior to the formation of the panel, Hanif, who is also a former inspector-general of police, had previously said that they were communist elements in the pro-electoral reform rally.
His appointment as the chairperson of the panel had been a subject of controversy, with objections from various parties such as the DAP, the Bar Council, and human rights watchdog Proham.
The BERSIH coalition also responded to Hanif’s statement that there were no 
specific instructions on how to handle the media, and are trying to get the police to declare whether they had received the UN guidelines on how to handle crowds and members of the press.
“Hanif should realise that the Police surely received their instructions from those higher up; thus, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and Home Affairs Minister are also responsible,” they said.
Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger 
No surprise at all. I do not take this panel seriously. Hanif is the former Inspector-General Police. –Din Merican
Why is Bersih furious? Isn’t this already expected?
A senior police officer attached to the Special Branch boasted how he would treat the Bersih protesters. It was no idle boast, as he did what he had set to do. How on earth this Hanif fella said otherwise?
Yes. no surprise. Silly of Bersih to be unhappy.
What els can you get? A WEAK panel headed by a chairman with questionable integrity for this position WILL OF COURSE will come up with a WEAK response.
This panel ‘s letterhead is stamped with the letters in capital : DOA
Dead On Arrival.
Those interviewers are walking corpses or hantus .
No evidence or weak evidence, says Hanif?? Not surprising because he never studied Law of Evidence when he was at University of Buckingham. Had he studied Law of Evidence he would have flunked his exam. He would have to do his Evidence paper at Bar Finals. But then he was barred from sitting his London Bar Finals.
Putting an ex-police officer in charge of an enquiry into police brutality is like asking Frank if he would spank Hyacinth Goddard during his undergrad days. Figure that one out.
Din.No body respect Hanif.He was the IGP and become a director of Genting.The gamling co.He argue with his fellow police friend that gamling is not haram in Islam.
If gambling is not haram then maybe Tabung Haji should be investing in Gentings shares. New Fartwah from Imam Hanif. The banks can open a new shariah compliant counter under Al-Judi Fund.
He (Hanlf) as a muslim should advice others not to gamble according to Islamic teaching, and inspire of that he accepted to be one of the director of the gambling outlet in Genting….real sad!
A senior police officer attached to the Special Branch boasted how he would treat the Bersih protesters. It was no idle boast, as he did what he had set to do. – Tok Cik
Tok Cik, could THIS be the same senior police office who pistol butt a hotel staff in Seremban. See these two video clips which went viral on Youtube. Even Malaysiakini reported about it.
Perhaps, Haniff is correct, the police is NOT professional enough at Bersih rally if this video is of any proof.
And now, Bukit Aman sent police officers to become rock star singers in shopping malls. See here What a JOKE!!!!!!
Part 1-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yboh2VgyuA
Part 2- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoecoNCN7Rk
Sorry.
here is the link to Part 1 of the video clip
The main and only question is, ” are we heading for a change and making a change of the government ?’………..to stop all the ridicules !
Frank,
That was an off duty police officer and he has committed no less than four or five crimes and should be charged like everybody else. He wasn’t trying to stop the commission of a crime. He should be placed on administrative leave without pay and charged with battery and assault (is there a firearm involved if there is then assault with a deadly weapon with intent to cause grave bodily harm) and find guilty, made to do time and dismissed from the force. Period.
But then this is Malaysia where the rule is not one of law. But rather who does what?
Hanif on the board of Genting? That’s old news. It is like an UMNO owned hotel selling liquor to its customers. They think their notice to all Muslims at hotel lobbies would act to save them from the fires of Hell as being the enabler. For the more creative, they say they have found a way to cleanse tainted proceeds from the hotel business. But how do you separate the proceeds of illegal gambling from Genting’s hotel business? Money is money.
Duh ?!
‘Illegal’ gambling to mean ‘haram’. Not as in against the law.
The senior Special Branch police officer I referred to is the same fella who claimed that DAP is being infiltrated by communist agents and PAS by JI. I know this fella well as he is a distant relative. Not much of a scholar having scrapped through the police college with just a simple pass. But he’s one big braggart. He said the same when I met him at a wedding a couple of months ago. This bugger suffers from hallucination having been BTN-ed through and through.