Group accuses police of breaking law in ordering teens to do ear squats

Group accuses police of breaking law in ordering teens to do ear squats

Published: Jan 2, 2025 9:25 PM


Summary

• Madpet criticises police for punishing teenagers with ear squats after they were caught recklessly riding modified bikes.

• It wants Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department chief Mohd Zamzuri Mohd Isa to be investigated over the matter.

• Group questions if teenagers’ parents were informed and consented to punishment.

Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (Madpet) has criticised the police for punishing a group of teenagers with ketuk ketampi (ear squats) after they were caught recklessly riding modified bikes yesterday.

Its spokesperson Charles Hector claimed that the police broke the law in subjecting the teenagers to what he described as torturous and degrading punishment.

He called for Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department chief Mohd Zamzuri Mohd Isa to be investigated and charged for crimes against children.

"Police and law enforcement duties are only to arrest and investigate, and not punish alleged law-breakers by any form of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment,” he said in a statement today.

Verbal reprimand or advice would have sufficed in dealing with the teenagers over their transgressions, he added.

It was reported earlier that 21 teenagers aged 14 to 17 were caught recklessly riding modified bicycles at a roadblock on Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Zamzuri had said that the teenagers had violated the Road Traffic Rules (Rule 42) LN 165/59, which could result in the confiscation of their bicycles, but a senior officer chose to discipline them with ear squats instead.

Parental consent

Charles questioned if the parents of the children were informed of the incident.

"Can punishment or such treatment be visited upon children by law enforcement, without the knowledge and/or consent of parents?" he said.

Madpet spokesperson Charles Hector

Madpet further called for the Federal Constitution to be amended to include a provision that protects the rights of Malaysians against punishments that are not in accordance with the law.

"Madpet also asks that ketuk ketampi be deemed as a corporal punishment, and shall not be used on children anywhere and by anyone," he added.

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kt comments:

I admire Charles Hector for his continuous fight for human rights, admittedly a thank-less job and Hector is to be praised, BUT matey, there are times when traditional punishments for kids may override such "human rights" concerns, especially when the outcome of the traditional (though non-legal) punishment outweighs the legal punishment. I am quiet sure parents and Malaysian society in general would approve. Nonetheless thanks to Hector for his ever constant vigilance on behalf of us - Cheers matey.