GEORGE TOWN: A police escort was provided to 2 former Thai leading ministers as a protection precaution, says Comm Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.
The Penang police chief was mentioning exiled VVIP siblings Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra who were in Penang for an individual trip.
“We do not need any unforeseen circumstances happening here.
“If a person of that importance appointments Penang, we have to give a police escort.
“We have to supply it as we are unable to risk the chances of presently there being people with sick intentions who might take advantage of their go here, ” he mentioned during a press meeting held at the George Town police district headquarters in Sarana Patani on Fri (Sept 23).
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Comm Mohd Shuhaily was addressing questions about the brothers and sisters being given police escorts during their vacation here.
“We are aware of the case of Australian Annapuranee Jenkins who was a commoner and was abducted and later killed.
“In this particular case, it was not even one previous prime minister, there was two of them.
“Just imagine in the event that anything untoward acquired happened to them.
“The scale of attention that would be given to Penang.
“We do not need that, inch he said.
He then confirmed they were here on the personal visit.
The duo had been escorted by police outriders and bodyguards during their travels within Penang.
The particular ex-Thai prime ministers were spotted on the Cecil Street marketplace during peak lunch time ordering koay teow th’ng and Chinese pasembur at about 1pm on Wednesday (Sept 21).
Earlier, they were seen in a food court within Weld Quay.
There was no standard confirmation on what their particular schedule was, using a source saying that it had been a private holiday.
Thaksin, 73, has been Thailand’s prime minister from 2001 in order to 2006, while Yingluck, 55, was the initial Thai female perfect minister, serving from 2011 to 2014.
Thaksin fled Thailand in 2008 to escape a corruption ruling and has lived in exile since.
A controversial 2013 amnesty Costs that would have paved the way for his come back instead triggered road protests which culminated in the 2014 coup against Yingluck’s federal government.
She has been tried in 2016 but did not come in court in Aug 2017 for the judgement. An arrest warrant was issued.
Yingluck fled the nation and is said to be living in London.