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PSM sedition probe saga: Police not letting up
Malaysia Kini - September 2, 2011
Those summoned, including five of the six recently released from detention under the Emergency Ordinance (EO), are to give their statements at Arau district police headquarters in Perlis on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference at the PSM headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today, PSM secretary-general S Arulchelvan, Sungai Siput MP Dr D Jeyakumar and lawyer N Surendran described the police action as harassment.
"All these individuals have been called for questioning, they've been remanded and questioned on the same issue. If you go and question them another round, this is abuse of power and harassment by the police.
"This is very disturbing, we see how after the repeated arrests, remand, and then detention under the EO, they have now gone on a second phase of persecution against the PSM6 and several others," said Surendran. Surendran who is a PKR vice-president, is legal counsel for the nine.
The five of the EO6 are Jeyakumar, M Sukumaran, P Letchumanan, Choo Chon Kai and R Saraibabu. The other four members are MC Subramane, P Indra, S Thivyakumar and M Ravindran, among those arrested at Sungai Dua Toll Plaza on June 25 that marked the beginning of the PSM saga.
'Investigated for the same crime'
PSM is crying foul over the investigation as the party believes it relates to its "Udahlah tu, Bersaralah" campaign pamphlets, for which the nine have already been charged.
The pamphlets detail the negative impact should the ruling BN coalition retain power in the next general election.
PSM members had, on the northern leg of their campaign, distributed the pamphlets in Perak and Perlis before moving on to Penang a day later, where they were arrested at Sungai Dua toll plaza, allegedly for "gathering arms to wage war against the Agong".
In the dragnet operation against the PSM, 30 of its members were remanded for a week and were made to give statements to the police three times, at the Seberang Perai district police headquarters, Penang contingent police headquarters and to a criminal investigation team from Bukit Aman.
They were subsequently released, but six of them were immediately rearrested under the EO, and extensively questioned by the Special Branch until their July 29 release.
The 24, as well as the EO6 after their release, were charged under Section 29(1) of the Internal Security Act for possessing subversive material and Section 48(1) of the Societies Act 1966 for aiding an illegal organisation on electoral reform.
An intern from Korea and a political activist from the Philippines, who had travelled with party members during the southern leg of the PSM campaign, were deported on the premise that they were foreign communist agents.
'Police harassing PSM'
Jeyakumar who is a PSM central committee member, said police harassment of PSM did not reflect well on the force.
"Now, suddenly, after so much investigation – they've taken more than a month to finish the investigation – they want to call nine of us in for further investigation.
"We're prepared to work with them (police) but when they enter the political arena to harass anyone who criticises the BN, then they are no longer playing their role as police, and it's difficult for people to work with them and respect them," he said.
The party is also peeved at the police insistance that the nine give their statements in Arau as eight of them reside in Perak while the other lives in Penang.
"I have officially written to the police, if you want a statement, do it in Ipoh, you can't expect everyone to go to Arau, you can't force people to travel such a long distance," said Surendran. However, the nine are expected to present themselves on Monday as failure to do so will result in arrest warrants being issued against them.
Asked whether the party was concerned that the nine could be arrested when they provide their statements in Arau, Jeyakumar said it was a possibility. "It's possible, the police have the power to do that," he said.
Surendran added that while he deemed the police action to be "illegal" and "abuse of power", it was not likely PSM would take legal action as the courts have often sided with the government. "It is a pointless exercise, that is why we are bringing this to the court of public opinion instead," he said.
Police confirm investigation
When contacted, Arau OCPD Mohd Nadzri Hussain confirmed that the investigation is related to the PSM's "Udahlah tu... Bersaralah!" campaign pamphlets. "We are just calling them to give their statements as witnesses, the investigation is still ongoing," he said.
Nadzri said the probe was necessary as it was related to the pamphlets distributed in Arau, not in Penang. Asked why were the nine were not allowed to give their statements in their home states, he put the blame on the PSM.
"One moment they said Ipoh, then the next moment they said somewhere else so we decided to just do it in Arau," he said. Nadzri added that he was unaware that PSM had not been furnished with the police report on the investigation and will check this with his officers.
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