Suhakam slams IGP over no-show at Indira Gandhi march

M Indira Gandhi, her two children and a group of supporters had waited on the road leading to Bukit Aman in the hope of meeting IGP Khalid Ismail on Saturday.PETALING JAYA: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has expressed its “utter disappointment” with Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail for failing to meet M Indira Gandhi during a protest on Saturday to receive a symbolic teddy bear meant for her missing daughter.Suhakam said Khalid’s absence gave the impression that the police were not committed to enforcing the recent High Court ruling and upholding its legal and moral duties to reunite Indira with her daughter, Prasana Diksa, who was taken by her former husband in 2008.It said the teddy bear also represented a mother’s 16-year struggle for justice, and her desire to reclaim her parental rights which had been upheld by the courts.“As guardian of the public conscience, the IGP is duty-bound to uphold the rule of law. Any failure or delay to enforce a judicial directive erodes public trust in law enforcement,” Suhakam said in a statement today.Indira had led a march comprising more than 100 people to Bukit Aman on Saturday, urging the police to locate Prasana who was abducted by Indira’s ex-husband, Riduan Abdullah.They insisted on meeting the IGP the same day but were assured by deputy law and institutional reform minister M Kulasegaran that a meeting with Khalid would be arranged soon.Riduan failed to return Prasana, their youngest child, after losing a legal battle over custody and the religious conversion of their children.He had converted their three children to Islam in 2009 without Indira’s consent and sought custody through the shariah court.On Jan 29, 2018, the Federal Court ruled that the conversions were null and void, and ordered the IGP to arrest Riduan for defying the High Court’s directive to return Prasana.The Ipoh High Court on Nov 21 ordered the police to widen the search for Riduan, with Justice Norsharidah Awang saying that it should be extended across the entire country.Suhakam urged the IGP and the police to comply with the High Court ruling, reiterating that the directive was legally binding and that failure to enforce it undermined the rule of law, justice system, and public trust.It also said Khalid, as IGP, was ultimately responsible for enforcing the courts’ rulings and urged him to act with “urgency, accountability and professionalism” by deploying all necessary resources to locate Prasana and ensure her safe return.Suhakam added that the rights and best interests of the child must be at the centre of all actions.It also called for regular, transparent updates for Indira, her legal team and the public, saying silence or inadequate communication would only heighten distrust and anxiety.“Effective cooperation between the judiciary, law enforcement and social service agencies is critical to ensuring that cases involving missing children are resolved promptly, transparently and in accordance with the rule of law,” it said.

MatchPoint Times

Suhakam slams IGP over no-show at Indira Gandhi march

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia says Khalid Ismail’s absence projects a lack of seriousness by the police in enforcing court orders.

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