Press Statement by Liew Chin Tong  in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 12^th May 2008: 

Penang arrests deplorable and ridiculous

The arrests of seven activists by the police who were allegedly involved in an anti-Internal Security Act demonstration at Gurney Drive yesterday are deplorable and uncalled for. It was also completely ridiculous as the five out of the seven were arrested inside the District Police Headquarters (IPD) of Timur Laut.

Social activist BK Ong and blogger K Satish Kumar were arrested in Gurney Plaza, about 500 metres away from the site of the protest, after they took part in the demonstration held at Gurney Drive at about 11.10am.

Meanwhile, human rights group Suaram activists Lau Shu Shi and Teh Chun Hong were detained after they lodged police reports at the city police headquarters in Jalan Patani, Georgetown at 2.45pm. The other three arrested were K Sudhagaran Stanley, M Suparamaniam and B Vimal.

Five of them were freed on police bail after being held for seven hours. However, Lau and Teh have been remanded and are expected to be brought to court to be formally charged.

At 4.00pm yesterday, I visited all seven persons at Timur Laut IPD with Dato’ Dr. Toh Kin Woon, former Exco of Penang Government, to show moral support and to find out first-hand what had happened.

I spoke to the OCPD of Timur Laut IPD, ACP Azam Abdul Hamid, on three occasions yesterday urging him not to go overboard in the arrests. Dr. Toh and I also met a DSP Sarifuddin to urge him not to use handcuffs on political arrestees, to which he obliged.

I find the arrests completely uncalled for as firstly, the police did not respect the rights of ordinary citizens to assemble peacefully.

Second, the arrests were malicious as they were conducted in a “witch-hunt” fashion, ie. they took place away from the site of the protest. BK Ong and Satish Kumar were arrested inside a shopping complex. The rest were arrested after they lodged police reports.

Worse, the arrests of K Sudhagaran Stanley, M Suparamaniam and B Vimal were based on their alleged admission in their police reports that they were part of the protest.

I deplore the arrests and request that the Minister of Home Affairs issue an apology to the public and the seven who were arrested.

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* Liew Chin Tong, MP for Bukit Bendera