Sunday, July 6, 2008

SIMPLY DO NOT USE THE ARMY FOR PUBLIC ORDER DUTIES

The IGP has said that he may call for the Army to assist if public security is jeopardise. My question is......isn't there enough policeman to perform public security duties? And the authorities (whoever it maybe)must understand the implications of using the Army on public security duty. I do not want Army personals to be brought to court to stand trial for murdering civilians.

I had also in my earlier articles in this blog, mentioned by total disagreement to the use of the Army for public order duties, because I believe the police has enough resources to deal with it.

I could still remember as Chief of Staff Operations at Army Field HQ in 1997, I was directed to deploy Army troops to occupy Police Field Force unit positions along the shores of the states of Malacca, Negeri Sembilan and Johore. I personally do not agree with such a deployment, because guarding the shores to stop the entry of illegal immigrants is not an Army responsibility. Rather, it is an internal security issue, which is the primary responsibility of the Police. I believe the Army is still saddled with this responsibility, and there is no sign that the police would want to accept back that responsibility.

In India and Pakistan, the border areas are not manned by the Army units or formations. That role is provided for by the Border Security Forces, which are basically police units.

I do hope my explanation above is simple enough to be understood by the IGP, and to refrain from mentioning any further, the use of the Army for public order duties.

4 comments:

captazhar said...

So now the Panglima Angkatan Tentera have to report to the Ketua Polis Negara??

captazhar said...

"Do we always and instantly see that a given order is illegal or immoral? No, at least not in all cases. If we sense that "something could be wrong," we should follow a three-step process: (1) a phase of inquiry, when we inform ourselves about the rules and regulations; (2) a phase of communication, when we talk to the superior and tell him our concerns; and (3) a phase of moral courage, when we decide to obey or to disobey and to bear the consequences."

http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/Zwygart/zwygart.asp

2 examples of officers with the moral courage that was given in that same document.

Israeli Army, Lebanon,1982

On 27 July 1982, Colonel Eli Geva had asked to be released from the command of his brigade to participate in the war as a simple soldier. He did this to protest a planned military move conquering Beirut. Geva claimed that, as a commander, he could neither accept responsibility for the civilian casualties likely to be caused nor face the prospect of justifying the action to the families of those in his unit who would be killed. Geva was discharged from his command and barred from the Israel Defense forces.

Iraqi Army, Iraq, 1990

About 100 officers of the Iraqi Armed Forces refused to take part in the invasion of Kuwait. They were executed.

Will our Malaysian Army have officers of the same moral caliber?

Mohd Arshad Raji said...

Dear Captazhar,

Excellent imputs. You have been sharp enough to understand what I am getting at. Loyalty does not mean, to do as ordered. Use a bit of our intellect to decide what is wrong and what is right. The example of Col Eli Geva has to be drummed into the mind of our military officers.

Anonymous said...

Dato Arshad,

Saya rasa inilah masanya ATM tunjukkan kukunya kepada Polis tu semua bahawa ATM adalah lebih kuat,berkuasa dan memerhatikan tindak tanduk mereka.Janganlah jadi lembu cuck hidung, bacalah sikit Perlembagaan Malaysia tu dan Akta Angkatan Tentera 1972 kan banyak kuasa dari segi undang undang diberi kepada Tentera.

Kalau nak kawal keamanan negara dan membantu Polis tu bagus dan baik tetapi jangan lah bagi Polis tu perentah awak itu "subserviant to their jurisdiction namanya".Kalau Polis mintak bantuan dengan Tentera mereka kena ikut tatacara dan bidangkuasa tentera kalau tidak jangan bantu.Takkan tak ingat 13 Mei 1969 tu siapa yang perentah siapa. Janganlah jadi askar "bodoh"........tu tengok Perlembagaan Malaysia kata "YDP Agong is The Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces" ada tak dia kata Supreme Commander of the Police.Itu bermakna ATM lebih tinggi dari PDRM maka macam mana PDRM nak perentah anggota ATM? Bapak bapak Gen janganlah be...... sangat, tunjuklah star awak tu sikit dan awak pun boleh bersuara dan mempunyai kuasa untuk mengekalkan 'The seperation of power' didalam negara ini.

Cuba tengok Gen diBritain , mereka bebas memberi komen umum didalam akhbar menentang Tony Blair mengenai penempatan Tentera Britain diIraq. Gen yang macam ni kita nak tengok, dunia dah berubah ATM masih ditakuk lama.Didalam kawasan pagar berduri bukan main garang lagi tapi bila mengadap orang politik...........cium tangan.... kah kah kah malu aku, cium tangan busuk......