Journalist beaten up at PPS centre
GEORGE TOWN: A journalist covering a suspected suicide case claimed he was assault by two members of the voluntary patrol unit (PPS) set up by the Penang Government in Perak Lane here.
Guang Ming Daily deputy crime chief Ang Kean Siang, 32, suffered injuries to his lips, chest, abdomen and groin after he was allegedly punched and kicked by them at the unit's makeshift operations centre.
Ang, who has since lodged a police report, said one of them damaged his camera by slamming it on the floor.
"They threatened me, saying that I won't be able to walk out from Perak Lane even if I had deleted all the photographs from my camera.
"Two of them attacked me while two others kept watch. They were aged between 20 and 50," he said outside the Patani Road police station yesterday.
Ang said he had earlier gone to an apartment in that area after a 39-year-old woman, identified as Tan Lee Kean, had fallen to her death at about 12.30am yesterday.
He said he was taking photographs at the scene when one of the attackers came and warned him not to take pictures.
"Fearing for my safety, I dodged him and went to the first floor of the apartment.
"It was then that a man came to me and said he could escort me out of the area to safety.
"I followed him on his motorcycle, only to be brought to the centre. The man who had threatened me earlier was there," he said.
George Town OCPD Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng said police were investigating if voluntary patrol team members were involved in the attack, he said.
Meanwhile, state PPS chairman Phee Boon Poh said the operation of the 50-member squad in Perak Lane, which was formed two months ago, had been suspended pending an internal inquiry.
Expressing his regret over the matter, Phee said the state government would also review the current process of recruiting members.
"Currently, those who want to join PPS are recommended by the respective community development and security committees and approved by the state assemblymen.
"We will submit the complete name list of all the 5,300 PPS members to the police for vetting purposes," he said after visiting Ang at a private hospital here yesterday.
It has been reported that the state government initiated PPS to allow groups to check on crime in their areas.
Asked if other PPS squads would be disbanded, Phee said this was not the way to tackle the problem.
"The most important thing now is to conduct proper training to ensure the members are disciplined," he added.
Perak Lane PPS squad leader Khoo Eng Chong said one of the attackers was confirmed to be a member while another was a former prison inmate.
Penang Barisan Nasional Youth chief Oh Tong Keong, who also visited Ang, urged the state government to include interview session and probation period while recruiting PPS members.
-The STAR-
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