Badar Squad is mob rule and unIslamic, says legal rights group

Updated 7 years ago · Published on 15 Nov 2018 2:13PM · 6 Comments

Lawyers for Liberty executive director Latheefa Koya says the culture of turning a blind eye until people start asking questions has to change. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, November 15, 2018.

THE anti-vice vigilante Badar Squad in Sungai Petani has no jurisdiction to act as moral police and are undermining the rule of law, Lawyers for Liberty said.

The legal rights advocacy group said the squad was akin to “unlawful mob rule” and blatantly disregarded the authorities, which are also complicit in their failure to put a stop to the group’s actions.

“It is unIslamic to breach the privacy of any individuals with the purpose to humiliate and shame such persons in the pretext of curbing immoral activities,” the group’s executive director Latheefa Koya said in a statement today.

She said the squad falsely claimed legitimacy by gaining the consent of local mosque officials to pry into people’s private lives by surveilling and raiding couples suspected of close proximity or attempting to have sex out of wedlock.

She also accused the group of impersonation by wearing uniforms and using “so-called approval letters” that were police reports it had lodged before going on raids.

They also used blackmail, Latheefa alleged, when they threatened to call in the state religious department against couples who do not cooperate in their raids.

“Infractions are done seemingly in plain sight of the authorities, but indifference is shown until the development of media controversy. This culture of turning a blind eye until people start asking questions has to change.”

Noting that the group had been operating for two years, Latheefa added that the fact police had yet to stop such “mob rule shows pure neglect and complicity”.

She also compared the squad to mobs in India, where people accused of cow slaughter have been assaulted and lynched, as well as vigilantes in the Philippines that have killed people accused of being involved in drugs.

“The ongoing presence of vigilantes threatens the maintenance of the rule of law and may lead to both the escalation and proliferation of such conduct throughout the country.

“Law enforcement authorities must take appropriate action immediately. The government must take a stand against these activities, most of which had gone on unchecked under the previous administration.” – November 15, 2018.

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Comments

  • We should ask Mukhriz why he is not aware of it ????. Is he being distracted in his other ambitions ????. Why is the Police in Kedah giving support on such activities ?????. Not only are they in complicit but totally incompetent and no argument, head should roll. Alll these activities are not just display of mob extravaganza but more deadly to become a militia grouping in religiou bindings like ISIS. This we can do without if we are to embark on New Malaysia. The PM tiring effort in his reborn "second look east vision" will be sullied with a new "second look middle-east" policy in play in his own born and raised state as well as his son administrative state.

    Posted 7 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • Latheefa... please do not let this go. They must be stopped!

    Posted 7 years ago by Aden Han · Reply

  • if this form of vigilantism is legal, then assaulting these raiders should also be legal right? law goes out the window ...

    Posted 7 years ago by Baru Malaysian · Reply

  • Mukhriz is not a competent politician the kind of Statements he make states clearly he is not a matured n polished Politican

    Posted 7 years ago by Tharan Singh · Reply

  • Why Mukhriz not Up Keeping RULE OF LAW

    Posted 7 years ago by Tharan Singh · Reply

  • This Taliban wannabes should be stopped in their tracks immediately. Period.

    Posted 7 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply