Following Kevin Morais death, SOP needed to improve safety of public prosecutors

The Attorney-General's Chambers and the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) need to draw up a standard operating procedure (SOP) which can improve the safety of public prosecutors in the country.

Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) vice-chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the brutal murder of deputy chief of the Appellate and Trial Division in the Attorney-General's Chambers, Anthony Kevin Morais, recently, should be taken as a lesson so that it would not recur.

"For a start, the Attorney-General and the police could organise a briefing or training for public prosecutors about personal safety ... they can learn what should be done if they find themselves in danger after receiving threats," he told Bernama, Friday.

He was commenting on the murder of Morais whose body was found in a barrel of concrete at Persiaran Subang Mewah in USJ1, on Wednesday.

Morais, 55, was last seen leaving his apartment in Menara Duta, here, on Sept 4 to go to his office in Putrajaya driving a grey Proton Perdana with the registration number WA6264Q.

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Former Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hasan said public prosecutors should immediately report to the police if they suspected anything untoward or suspicious involving them.

"May be some public prosecutors consider threats they have received as being not serious and did not report the matter to the authorities. However, crime can happen at any time and to anyone.

"Prosecutors may seek the assistance and advice of the police to protect themselves ... do not be silent," he said.

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In this regard, he said the Attorney-General, the police and all parties involved needed to discuss the matter in order to find the best way to ensure the safety of public prosecutors at all times as their work placed them at high risk.