PAS leaders to file suit against the police

(Harakah) – Two Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) leaders will separately file civil suits against the police for being nabbed recently at two different but seemingly related incidents.

PAS legal and human rights bureau chairman Mohamed Hanipa Maidin said the suit which were currently being prepared, would be filed separately soon in Ipoh in the case of PAS vice president Mohamad Sabu while here for its Elections Director Datuk Mustafa Ali.

Hanipa told journalists after two separate police reports were lodged by both leaders here today that those suit were with regard to the arrest of Mohamad in the district of Nibong Tebal and that of Mustafa in the Parliament ground within the span of two days early this month.

Both leaders have been involved in a campaign by a broad coalition to call for a free and fair election following irregularities in the last general election which gave Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi landslide victory.

Mustafa expressed his disappointment that he was nabbed on Dec 11 at Parliament building despite his efforts pointing out to several police officers who wanted to take him it was an "unlawful arrest".

"I came to parliament (on that day) to hear debate regarding amendment to the Constitution with regard to the (retirement age of) Election Commission's (members)," he said.

At about 1.30pm on that day police officers came to detain him but Mustafa insisted that a Court order produced which prohibited anyone from attending an "illegal assembly" at the vicinity of the parliament on that day did not name him.

The court order is currently being challenged.

After arguing for sometime, Mustafa said a plain-clothed policeman threatened to use force against him if he did not cooperate. He was however freed later by another superior police officer who used "his discretion to let me go without any charge".

Form commission now IPCMC now

Mohamad Sabu said his arrest at the toll plaza in Bukit Tambun in the northwestern state of Penang on Dec 9, was done in a manner of "not following procedure" and made him look like the "mafia".

"(My) car window was broken (by the police) and I was pulled out (of front passenger seat) as if I was the chief mafia in Malaysia," he said.

Mohamad who was also a three term parliamentary member said he would have complied with the directive to report to Court the following day had it been done by "a mere a phone call".

"I've always been cooperative with the police regardless of whether if I was called to the station or to Court," he said.

He also pointed out that an earlier agreement with the police in Ipoh enabled him to travel back to his destination in Guar Petai and to report to a nearby police station in Kepala Batas.

Mohamad had been attending his daughter's wedding in Ipoh and was traveling back to his home when he was arrested midway the journey.

"I was handcuffed with my hand at my back as if I'm a big criminal. The arrest was actually (only intended) to produce me in Court the next day," he said.

"This did not commensurate with their action (while arresting me)," he said.

When asked, Mohamad Sabu agreed that Abdullah must speed up the formation of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

He also noted that the Special Complaints Commission (SCC) which many quarters claimed a "watered down" version of the IPCMC, and not an independent body as was the recommendation to Abdullah.

"We hope (Abdullah) will speed this up because this is a recommendation from a (Royal) Commission," he said.

"There are just too many reports of misconducts (by the police) on ordinary citizen," he said.