Police Accountability - what does it mean?

Guests:

Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, Home Minister

S.Arutchelvan, Suaram

A. Kugan’s death in police custody was the reason for this episode. Exactly how accountable are our police for their actions? And does holding them accountable necessarily mean we are not supporting the police force as we should? That’s the “you’re either with us or against us” argument, made famous by George W. Bush. Who should be policing the police? Has it come to the stage where we may need protection from the police? And with a public that’s clamouring for less crime on the streets, is it acceptable to knock a suspect around if it helps to solve a crime, lock up one more criminal or save a life? Those were some of the questions posed in this episode.

What else did I learn from this episode?

Lesson 1 – It’s who you know that counts. Sometimes a well-crafted and persuasive letter can only get you so far, you would still need someone to put in a good word for you. That’s what got me one of my guests for this episode.

Lesson 2 – always put your guest at ease first before you put him on the defensive.  Never attempt to do it the other way round. Unless you’re looking for trouble and are partial to shouting matches. But that would only make it even harder to ask the tough questions. Suffice to say I don’t think Syed Hamid would want me interviewing him again anytime soon.