Immigration should be accountable, says Patriot
Politicians and media groups have complained that a security guard at the Pudu Sentral UTC in Kuala Lumpur became aggressive with two reporters. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: A veterans’ group has called for the immigration department to be held accountable for the behaviour of a guard at an Urban Transformation Centre who lashed out at reporters earlier today.
The National Patriots Association said the department should be held “equally accountable” for the guard’s aggression as the department had contracted a private company to provide security services.
Its president Brig-Gen (Rtd) Arshad Raji urged the government to revamp the entire practice of using contract private security guard services and to employ either retired police or military servicemen instead.
It would be unacceptable for the authorities to absolve themselves of the guard’s behaviour, he said.
Arshad said the association was also disturbed by the body language, attire and grooming of the security guard in today’s incident at the Pudu Sentral UTC in Kuala Lumpur. He wondered if guards were now “more thuggish than trained”.
He also questioned the guard’s right to confiscate the personal belongings of the journalist who had photographed long queues at the immigration office at the UTC.
“We cannot treat such intimidation tactics lightly and dismiss these as yet another ‘isolated’ incident,” he said.
Earlier today, two reporters of The Vibes news portal said they were harassed by an angry security guard who insisted they leave the premises while they were reporting on long queues at the UTC.
The incident drew flak from politicians and media associations alike. Separate police reports were later filed by a security guard and the reporters involved.
PETALING JAYA: A veterans’ group has called for the immigration department to be held accountable for the behaviour of a guard at an Urban Transformation Centre who lashed out at reporters earlier today.
The National Patriots Association said the department should be held “equally accountable” for the guard’s aggression as the department had contracted a private company to provide security services.
Its president Brig-Gen (Rtd) Arshad Raji urged the government to revamp the entire practice of using contract private security guard services and to employ either retired police or military servicemen instead.
It would be unacceptable for the authorities to absolve themselves of the guard’s behaviour, he said.
Arshad said the association was also disturbed by the body language, attire and grooming of the security guard in today’s incident at the Pudu Sentral UTC in Kuala Lumpur. He wondered if guards were now “more thuggish than trained”.
He also questioned the guard’s right to confiscate the personal belongings of the journalist who had photographed long queues at the immigration office at the UTC.
“We cannot treat such intimidation tactics lightly and dismiss these as yet another ‘isolated’ incident,” he said.
Earlier today, two reporters of The Vibes news portal said they were harassed by an angry security guard who insisted they leave the premises while they were reporting on long queues at the UTC.
The incident drew flak from politicians and media associations alike. Separate police reports were later filed by a security guard and the reporters involved.
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