Deputy inspector-general of police Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said a disciplinary investigation has been opened against the policeman, while a separate criminal investigation is being conducted under the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt and committing mischief.
“Give us space to complete the investigations, and we will disclose the findings and the next course of action. We will not cover up any misconduct among our officers,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a forum at St Giles Wembley Hotel here.
A 29-second video which went viral showed police arresting a man in front of a motorcycle accessories shop on Jalan Tunku Putra in Kulim during a crime prevention patrol.
The man, who was wearing a helmet, was pulled off his motorcycle and fell to the ground, after which a policeman stepped on his head. Police later said the suspect tested positive for methamphetamine.
Kulim deputy police chief Tengku Faisal Tengku Yeng previously said the policeman had been reassigned to administrative duties pending an internal investigation by the integrity and standards compliance department into whether SOPs were followed during the arrest.
Ayob Khan said today that while police SOPs allow personnel to use minimal and reasonable force if suspects resist arrest, there are certain “grey areas”.
“If a suspect resists in a way that threatens our safety, we cannot just use minimal force,” he said.
On a separate matter, Ayob Khan said police seized drugs and poisons worth RM3.1 billion last year, while RM915 million worth of similar substances had been seized as of March this year.
He said police had been using the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 or Sosma to crack down on drug syndicates since 2023, with action taken under organised crime provisions.
“This is so that we can target all elements involved in drug trafficking, whether syndicate leaders, transporters, or drug processors.
“Only then can the entire syndicate be dismantled, and the impact will be significant.
“Otherwise, we may only seize the drugs while syndicate leaders usually get away,” he said when asked whether large drug seizures indicated that Malaysia had become a drug-producing nation.
Adding that Malaysia is not a drug-producing country, he said it is more commonly used as a transit point by international syndicates to distribute illicit substances to other markets.
He said Malaysia’s geographical position, especially its proximity to drug-producing regions such as the “Golden Triangle”, made it a key transit route for drug traffickers.