Police Action on Peaceful Citizens at AmCorp Mall!!
A "champion" at work ...
Yesterday was supposed to be totally peaceful, celebrating RPK's release and the anniversary of the Bersih Rally. Had my I"M WITH RPK, NO TO ISA t-shirt on called a few friends to join me (promising that there will be no untowards incidents, as there are even kids there usually).
We were supposed to be having a peaceful gathering of like-minded thinking citizen's. Surely one can have a party/ celebration in a public area to spread the joy around, right?
Wrong!!
Going around AmCorp Mall twice over, I was surprised that the access roads were blocked as early as 7.00pm. - as a result, some eatery at AmCorp Mall ost out on some business from me, and many others. Retail outlets in AmCorp Mall must be totally pissed-off with them coppers - why should they and their patrons be the victims of Government insecurity?
Maybe The ISA should be renamed BIA - Barisan Insecurity Act!!
I decided to wait it out at MBPJ, and went around again after 8.00pm, then again & again at 9.00pm.
It was obvious that the Police planned on some high handed action last night, and as such I thought that organizers might have had a change of plans - maybe a change of venue. With no news of a change in venue, I drove back.
Making a few phone calls, I was horrified to find out that sure enough, the Police did their "thing" on peaceful citizens who were unarmed in a commercial area.
That too, they moved in when the people were singing the NegaraKu and were ready to disperse - least prepared for an advance from the FRU.
My God - if that doesn't take the cake for a COWARDLY AND MINDLESS act by the FRU, Idon't know what does!! No wonder Hamid Albar wanted to move the police beat base away from "dangerous zones" in Chow Kit.
Maybe Hamid Albar will recommend that FRU bring along their mommy next time, just in case someone intends to murder them by throwing a brick (like during the Hindraf rally - at least they'll have Mommy's "kain" to hide behind ...
The Home Ministry must be scared stiff of the citizens - maybe a good sign??
On the other hand, maybe certain factions in UMNO are going bonkers & running amuck - not good ..... they are the one's who "pegang amanah - to protect the citizens", but here we have them moving in on the citizens!!!
Not good.
The Police, although will have to take the blame for this, were definitely instructed to come down hard on the citizenry - Instructions could only have come from one Ministry, which all of us know who helms.
Yes - none other than the one idiot who believes in arresting citizens for "their own protection"!
From AnilNetto:
The day after…
1249: MP Tony Pua confirms that he is now out of the station on a personal bond and due to report back to the station on 24 Nov. He is now in Parliament. Recalling his nightmare, he writes in his blog:
I was arrested while seeking out Ronnie Liu and the senior police officers in charge to make sure that everyone is ok.
The CPO Selangor issued the call to arrest me, and two guys came over to grab one arm each and pushed me towards the Black Maria.
I stated that I will walk, don’t be rough but they tore my shirt instead. I repeated my call and three other police officers came at me, one with the knees into my belly while another attempted to kick my shin.
They then chucked me against the back of the Black Maria truck and shoved me up despite me stating that I can climb myself.
Apparently after waiting some two hours plus, it appears that they are going to keep us for the night here, and charge us tomorrow.
Weng San was also assaulted and had major bruises and some bleeding on the face. He saw the police who assaulted him here at the station, and Ronnie confronted him for his name. He appeared shaken by the demand and he refused to give his name and gave instead some very rude retorts.
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Here's something from Jelas.info (Nat Tan)
Videos of police attacking Negaraku singing crowd; Selangor police chief proven liar
While The Star Online excitedly writes about Gong Li’s Singaporean citizenship, Malaysiakini finally tells us that all arrested last night have been released except for one individual (I learnt via Terence Tan’s facebook that the one still detained is being held due to an oustanding warrant of arrest out in Pahang).
More importantly, videos are out - These two via the Rev. Sivin Kit, and put paid Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar’s ridiculous denial that the police charged into a group of peaceful citizens singing Negaraku.
I still can’t find a compelling narrative that fits what has happened and explains the motives.
One of the most disturbing aspects is that the police appeared to have decided to attack at the last possible moment - which also happened to be a moment that was an obvious public relations disaster.
This may mean that the police had planned to attack all along. Not having been given a ‘better’ opportunity earlier, they decided to do so before the crowd dispersed after the anthem (as indicated by the organisers, I understand).
There’s much to uncover here. I’ll keep a list here of the expanding amount of writing that is coming out on what happened:
- Sivin Kit
- Anil Netto
- Wong Chin Huat
- Melvin Mah
- Amin Iskandar
- Tony Pua
- Lau Weng San
A full list of those arrested compiled by Suaram, after these excerpts from Malaysiakini.
Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar has denied that the police moved in on participants at a candle-light vigil last night while they were singing the national anthem.
“That is what they (participants) are claiming,” Khalid told reporters at the Petaling Jaya police district headquarters about midnight.
When told that there was a video recording of the police action, Khalid replied: “I am denying it.”
According to Khalid, a group had been gathering at the field opposite Amcorp Mall for four consecutive weeks and have not heeded police demands to apply for a permit.
“We have given them enough warnings,” he said.
Asked if the group had posed a danger to the public, Khalid replied “That doesn’t matter. The law says that a permit must be obtained.”
Asked if this amounted to double standards, since no action had been taken against pro-government groups such as those protesting against the appointment of a non-Malay to head PKNS (Selangor government investment arm).
Khalid denied this, and reiterated that the group had failed to heed demands to obtain a police permit for four weeks.
I doubt the records will show that the police lodged some official protest to the organisers of the weekly ISA vigils about the lack of permits.
It seems more like DCP Khalid is stonewalling and taking a “deny everything” hard line - taking a leaf from the page of the BN book, where they make statements that fly in the face of all available evidence, trying somehow to ‘outsmart’ reality just by repeating a bunch of lies.
We’ll continue to follow all closely. Here’s the list of those arrested:
1. Tony Pua Tiam Wee, PJ Utara Member of Parliament
2. Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew, Selangor State Executive Council member and
Pandamaran State Assemblyman
3. Lau Weng San, Kampung Tunku State Assemblyman
4. Teoh Way Keng, Petaling Jaya City Councillor
5. Ashok Kandiah, Lawyer
6. Ong Boon Keong, Activist and Coordinator for MAFREL
7. Father Paulino Miranda
8. Ambrose Goh, Malaysiakini journalist
9. Shukri Mohamad, Malaysiakini videographer
10. Sunny Lim, blogger
11. Andrew
12. Angelia Ooi
13. Arrif Abdul
14. Augustine
15. Goh Chien Li
16. Johny Andrew
17. Kenny Goh
18. Khairul
19. Mohd Faizal
20. Rahman
21. Ramesh
22. Syed Ahmad
23. Tinggaran
Cops storm and brutalise peaceful, unarmed, Negaraku singing crowd
Updated with bits and pieces 8.30am. Not sure what’s happening with detainees yet.
Just back from the PJ police headquarters. Over 20 still detained, and likely to be held overnight.
That sucks.
What’s worse were the tales of arrest from earlier. An FRU police charge into an unarmed crowd as they were singing Negaraku as a closing to the gathering? Wanton disdain for public safety as needlessly violent cops caused bodily harm to women and children? A reporter actually detained during a press conference with the Chief Police Officer?
I wasn’t able to make it early enough to be an eyewitness, and it will take a while for documentation of what exactly happened tonight to come out, and I’ll wait for more evidence. In the meantime, read Anil Netto, Wong Chin Huat, Tony Pua and Lau Weng San among others.
In what would have been front page news in any country with free media, the Star of course, only saw fit to publish this deep inside the bottom of page 23.
Here’s what I hope is the first of many videos on this subject:
I’m perplexed by this unwarranted brutality, and feel that orders or approval must have come from somewhere - I’m still trying to figure out where.
We will not stand silent against this injustice and violence against Malaysians.
Detailed report at Malaysiakini.
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