Police say permits for party dinners misused

(NST) SHAH ALAM: Do not try to hoodwink us.

That is the message state police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar has for certain politicians.

He said these politicians had been misusing police permits for dinners by turning the events into political ceramah.

Khalid said this put police in a tight spot as they were forced to act against the organisers by revoking the permits.

"We are being provoked with this kind of tactics. We issue permits based on the original application made, where the gatherings are only for a dinner but the organisers end up putting up tents on the five-foot ways with PA systems to have political talks."

Khalid said this after closing the Crime Prevention for Industries workshop here yesterday.

On Sunday, the police permit for the 43rd DAP anniversary dinner at Klang MP Charles Santiago's service centre was revoked after it was found that the event had been brought outside the centre.

More than 100 policemen in five FRU trucks with two water cannon cordoned off the area and stopped people from attending the dinner.

The PA system equipment was seized and all talks and performances were barred before the dinner was allowed to proceed.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim implied there seemed to be a double standard as leaders from other parties could "talk their hearts out" at similar functions.