Heroes or Fools?

I read with great sadness the death of two police officers in a drug raid in Sg. Buloh, Selangor. L/Kpl Jayabalan and L/Kpl Alagesan were shot dead by drug traffickers in the line of duty.

What was even saddening was the response of the PM, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Instead of hailing these two fallen heroes, he seem to chide them by saying that these two men "did not follow procedures". He went on to say that their approach was "inappropriate" (The Star, October 27, 2007). Imagine how the families of these two officers would feel when they read these words from the PM. In their hour of sorrow, their loved ones were being criticized. No praise, no consolation, and no words of comfort.

These two brave men sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. Without wearing bullet-proof vests, they went in with the noble intention of putting these bad men behind bars, in line with the slogan of the Malaysian Police, "Sedia Berkhidmat" (Ready to Serve). When it is quite common nowadays to read news of police officers involved in graft, I feel the actions of these two fallen heroes were exemplary. In the same edition of The Star, I read that an assistant superintendent of police and a sergeant with the Dang Wangi district police headquarters were arrested for alleged graft.

I certainly wish the PM will be more sensitive when making such comments in future. I believe he knows very well how it feels like to lose a loved one. Put yourself in the shoes of Malini Venugopal (wife of officer Jayabalan) who fainted upon hearing the news that her husband has been shot dead. I hope the government right the wrong by hailing these two men as heroes and giving their next of kin every support they rightfully deserve.