By Alang Bendahara

SHAH ALAM (Malaysia): Errant politicians from both sides of the divide who had held illegal demonstrations were scolded for their "destructive" behaviour by the nation's top cop yesterday

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said they had reneged on their duty to build a better society and had, instead, sought to bring it down.

The no-nonsense policeman said politicians from both government and opposition ranks had become role models for criminals by blatantly defying the law.

In a scathing rebuke of politicians who had failed to live up to public expectations, he said they should have known better as guardians of the law, rather than engage in activities which could prove fodder for criminals.

Musa said criminals would use the actions of such errant politicians as an excuse to break the law.

"The criminals may ask why they should respect or follow the law when politicians were not doing so.

"Politicians should be helping to build a better society instead of destroying it. If politicians do not respect the law, then criminals would do the same," he said after launching the Selangor Police Exhibition at the Shah Alam Gallery here yesterday.

On the plan by Gerakan Reformasi Rakyat Malaysia (Reformis) to hold a nude protest against the Selangor government, he said police would not hesitate to act against them.

"Being naked in public is an act of indecency which is against the law and if this group of people decide to do so, then we will arrest them. Furthermore, this is not part of our culture," he said.

Reformis' president Ramlan Abu Bakar had said that movement has set up a skuad berani bogel (nude squad) to continue its intent of holding a demonstration in the nude after their application for a permit to do so was ignored.

He had said that members of the squad were determined to go naked in public at functions attended by Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim if the state government failed to reconsider its decision to review a rent increase in the Peoples' Housing Programme.

Ramlan had given Khalid, also Bandar Tun Razak member of parliament, until Dec 12 to resolve the matter or they would go ahead with their protest.

Meanwhile, Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar advised Reformis members to rethink their decision on the protest.

"I advise them to think of alternative ways to show their dissatisfaction," he said at the same function.