The Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak and the IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar’s high-handed approach towards peaceful rallies and the arrest of Opposition elected representatives and social activists, are not only tantamount to disrespecting our right to assemble peacefully, but at the same time bring shame to the police force as a whole.
In adhering to the request by the Police, DAPSY Chief and MP for Rasah, Teo Kok Seong had presented himself to Dang Wangi Police Station to have his statement recorded which ended up in him being officially arrested by the police. Teo was detained for nearly 32 hours, but the police only needed 45 minutes to record his statement and not more than 15 minutes to collect his fingerprints and photograph him.
If the arrest and detention of Teo was not politically motivated, what is the police justification for detaining Teo for 32 hours seeing as the investigation process only takes about an hour? Is this the SOP or KPI of the police?
Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code allows the police to ask for remand of the arrestee only if it appears that the investigation cannot be completed within the period of first 24 hours of detention. Teo had been in Dang Wangi Police Station for more than 5½ hours and then sent to Jinjang Lockup until the following morning. His statement was not recorded until he was transferred back to Dang Wangi Police Station after the remand proceedings. The fact that the police requested for a remand is clearly an attempt to abuse the process of law.
The police claimed they needed more time to investigate Teo in connection with other rallies, yet the police failed to present any police reports that incriminated Teo directly other than the #kitalawan rally on 07.03.2015. The motive behind the arrest and the application for remand is obvious to all.
The high-handedness of the BN Government led by Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak, and the IGP Tan Sri Abu Bakar Khalid has affected and influenced the decisions of the presiding investigating officers. The delay in the investigation after Teo’s arrest as a result of political instruction or intervention has cast doubt on the efficiency and ethics of the police in carrying out their duties and brought shame to the police force.