Tamilchelvan A/L Masilamani who was arrested this morning at the House of Parliament has been released on police bail around 4.10pm. He was charged under section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing public servant in discharge of his public function.
He is now getting medical treatment at a general hospital after his released. His neck was injured because of being kicked by police personnel during the arrest.
While still thinking about Syukree, I read that the final leg of the Jerit campaign went alright, except for one major hitch.
Via a Suaram press statement:
About 11.15am one of the cyclists - Tamilchelvan A/L Masilamani (in his early forties) ) was arrested by the police. The offence against him was obstructing police duty. He was accused of blaming the police personnel for stealing their bicycles, although he had only stated that their bicycles were lost.
According to Tamilchelvan who still detained at IPD Dang Wangi, he was beaten up by about 10-15 police personnel during the arrest. He was then bleeding and has not been able to access medical treatment until now.
If that’s true, it’s certainly police abuse. Deplorable!
Pre-script: Speaking of ISA detainees, I just found out that Gerakan Mansuh ISA might be organising a mass rally (ala Bersih?) for next March (what interesting timing!). Anwar, Hadi Awang and Kit Siang will be speaking at a rally to launch the campaign, November 23rd, 9pm, Dataran MPAJ, Pandan Indah.
*
If the following statement from Waytha Moorthy (received via e-mail) is accurate and true, it’s really cruel.
The oppression and suppression carried out by the UMNO led government tools ie Home Office and the PDRM towards HINDRAF never seem to cease.
P.Uthayakumar’s mother, Madam Kalaivaniy was admitted in the hospital for eight days from 12th Nov 2008 to 19th Nov 2008 due to hypertension, high blood sugar level as well as to treat her gall bladder.
Repeated requests were made to Kamunting Detention Centre upon her admission to inform her son and request for permission for Uthaya to visit his mother but to no avail. UTHAYAKUMAR was not even made known of his mother being hospitalized until this Sunday on 16th Nov 2008 when his fiancée visited him.
In addition to this, four Special Branch officers from the Malaysian Royal Force had visited Uthaya’s mother in the hospital on 18th and 19th Nov 2008 to ascertain whether it was really Uthaya’s mother and further interviewed those nurses attended to her and asked them if they were aware that this is Uthaya’s mother.
Even the bedridden Uthaya’s mother was not spared by this callous government agents as she was questioned and asked whether she would want her son to visit her.
The Malaysian police force has taken intimidation and harassment to new heights in questioning and interrogating Uthaya’s hospitalized mother as well as enquiring the nurses on their awareness of whether she being Uthaya’s mother. What is the relevant of this? If this is not intimidation and harassment, then I really don’t know what this is.
Besides, does it take four Special Branch officers to verify the admission by personally visiting, questioning and interrogating hospital personnel and his mother? What a waste of public funds or is this merely another act of intimidation and harassment towards those who seek what is fair and just.
We urge the Prison authority at least in compassion and humanity grounds allow Uthaya Kumar to visit his mother in her residence as she is recovering from her illness and is unable to travel and was not fit to travel for the recent Deepavali visit.
Update 16/11 am - Thank goodness, Paula is out. Reading her account brought back memories. I think Lucia will also be posting an account. I’m relieved, but still composing possible narratives for what is going on around the country. Maybe more after tonight.
It seems that every time I go for a wedding, the police arrest someone :(
I’ve only managed to find coverage on Anil’s and Antares’, about Paula Khoo’s arrest tonight.
I’m really appalled. I note that they waited for the crowd to disperse peacefully - which of course they did, as they always do - then quietly kidnapped her into a police van!
>:(
Last week I wasn’t sure what the arrests meant. With this incident, I’m now starting to think that these brave vigils have truly achieved their goal of unifying Malaysians and shaking those so arrogantly in power.
Perhaps they learnt from Selangor’s mistakes, and decided not to attack the crowd full frontal, but instead choose to harass and intimidate individuals, thinking the rest of us won’t care or notice.
Ah, there you would be mistaken, Mr. Policeman.
We’re with you Paula, and the people shall prevail!!
Before even stepping into the territory of constitutional rights to assemble, there remain unanswered questions about:
- the lack of warning by the police
- the utterly unnecessary beatings and brutalisations of unarmed and peaceful citizens
- the misdirection regarding warnings over permits for the last few gatherings
The state police chief has questioned the rationale behind Internal Security Act (ISA) protesters singing the national anthem at their illegal gathering near the Amcorp Mall on Sunday.
“Are they expecting policemen to stand at attention each time they sing the anthem? If so, what would happen if every criminal that we confront starts singing the national anthem?” asked Deputy Comm Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar.
He questioned whether the protesters sang NegaraKu to keep the police at bay or that they (the protesters) themselves did not respect the anthem.
As to the last question: who disrespected the anthem? Let’s look again at the videos by blogger Peter, whose brilliant footage put paid to so much nonsense:
I guess there is one group singing and standing at attention. And the other acting like armed gangsters/stormtroopers descending hooligan like on the unarmed, singing crowd.
Still not sure? Perhaps another video will help:
(I love how some cops like to scream in order to try and sound scary. It is in essence a simliar logic as employed by gorillas).
As to the other question: Why do people sing the anthem?
Hmm. Let’s see. Could it possibly be because they love Malaysia? As an expression of solidarity between brothers and sisters perhaps?
I guess our CPO thinks its just the latest hip tactic among criminals to stop policemen dead in their tracks :|
I’m sure the cops were not on the scene to control the violence on Jalan Loke Yew that very same night because the hoodlums held them all at bay by singing Negaraku right?
Bro CPO: When you have a single *real* criminal actually stop and sing Negaraku as some ludicrous attempt to evade arrest, then you can come and talk ok? In the meantime, your Home Minister is not one to emulate in terms of trying to defend the indefensible.
I really have to highlight Hasilox’s comment from an earlier post about the police bullying unarmed citizens:
What else the poolice can do? Chow Kit is too dangerous for them. Thieves are too smart for them. Who else left?
I’ll probably try to write a bit more on this later, but for now just wanted to point to what appears to be an extremely damning account of events surrounding Anwar’s famous black eye by the policeman tasked with investigating the assault.
Two quick points. I’m as disturbed as anyone else regarding the latest allegations against two Perak state exco members. Seems like quite a scandal, what with sexual bribery and all.
Although I am suspicious of the timing and the speed at which action was taken after a report (as compared to other cases), I will wait to see what further details and/or evidence emergences from this. I hope for the best.
Coincidentally, I also came across this article somewhat randomly today, detailing a possible story of how another Director-General (Tourism) got implicated in allegedly trumped up corruption charges. The article paints the story as a vendetta by Minister Azalina.
I have no idea if its true, but it’s quite a story; I was a bit piqued when I read earlier that someone had been supposedly bribed by way of… dental services?
On the recent arrest of a PKR leader in connection with the photographer’s assault: I say unequivocally that violence against the press is utterly inexcusable.
Now, from my experience with the party, one such incident getting out of hand is not necessarily impossible, but still unlikely. A systematic campaign of violence against members of the press however? I think that’s a bit of a stretch.
Hopefully, in all these cases, the truth will out.
Direct quote from the first 20 seconds of the video: “Berhubung dengan siasatan dakwaan terhadap Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, yang telah melakukan kesalahan liwat..”
Just a slip of the tongue? Perhaps, but a mildly suspicious one under the circumstances.
It’s also very ironic, given that his whole angle was lecturing bloggers and online media about accuracylah, truthlah, spreading lieslah - tch tch.
Kim Quek writes about the cops today as well, echoing some views me and Dato’ Saleh put together a while ago.
I think I’d like to simplify our earlier theory a bit, and condense it to:
1 - AG & IGP (plus his bungling deputy?) cannot ‘depend’ on a weak Umno-BN to stop Anwar
2 - ” are scared out of their pants as to what may happen should Anwar come to power
3 - ” sets out to throw the kitchen sink at Anwar, calculating that they are already facing their worst case possible scenario, and that they don’t have much to lose. No worries if Abdullah, Najib, etc look like fools throughout it all.
Maybe more on this another time.
As it is, maybe the smartest thing for BN to do is to ‘boycott’ the Permatang Pauh by-election. A walk-over would probably give Anwar the least stage-time and opportunity to do them damage. Anwar wins either way, pretty much.
I would expect no end of delaying tactics, however.
