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Contributed by Stephanie Bastian, Executive Director, Bar Council Legal Aid Centre (KL) (LAC KL), with photos by Nurul Najwa Hashim, LAC KL volunteer

The much-anticipated launch of National Law Awareness Week 2010 was marred by an unfortunate incident, during which volunteers of the Bar Council Legal Aid Centre (Kuala Lumpur) (“LAC KL”) were detained by the police on Sunday, 10 Oct 2010.

The Centre’s outreach project, called “Lawyers Approaching Community” (“LAC”) and helmed by the Dock Brief Committee, was initiated in conjunction with the National Law Awareness Week, scheduled to take place from 11-17 Oct 2010.  The LAC project was aimed at educating the public on their legal rights through wide distribution of the Bar Council’s pamphlets entitled “Police and Your Basic Rights” pamphlets, popularly known as the “Redbook pamphlets”, and specially printed red “Legal Aid Centre” balloons.

On the Sunday in question, 16 volunteer lawyers and pupils in chambers eagerly supported the Centre’s initiative by distributing the Redbook pamphlets and red balloons to the public at four locations, namely, Bukit Bintang, Sogo area, Masjid Jamek and Bukit Jalil.   Among the volunteers were Jason Kong Teng Mun, Chan Khoon Moh and two pupils in chambers, who were assigned to cover the Bukit Jalil area.

Arriving around 12:30 pm, Jason and his team started their outreach with the crowd at the Bukit Jalil bus terminal.  Having put up posters in the vicinity, and using cars as make-shift booths, the team was actively engaging with the public when they were interrupted by two police officers stationed at the pondok polis nearby, namely, Officer Zulkiflee and Officer Nizan.

The police officers claimed that the Redbook pamphlets were “illegal” and “anti-police”, and further insisted that the team should have obtained proper endorsement from Bukit Aman and a permit to distribute the pamphlets.
 
Despite Jason’s repeated explanation that the pamphlets were being distributed to publicise the launch of National Law Awareness Week 2010 as well as the Legal Aid Centre, and was not an “anti-police force” campaign, the police officers warned the team members that their actions might constitute an act contrary to the Sedition Act and hence they might be arrested under the Internal Security Act 1960.  The police also accused the team of disclosing secrets about the police’s arrest procedures and investigation through the dissemination of the pamphlet, and in effect destroying the integrity of the police force.

Despite the fact that they were told that they were not under arrest, the team members cooperated when the police requested that they head to the Sungai Besi police station for further discussion.

Jason immediately informed Stephanie Bastian, LAC KL’s Executive Director, regarding the incident.  LAC KL was surprised with the police’s action as the Redbook pamphlet had been launched by YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and de facto Law Minister, at the Bar Council in February 2009.  Within minutes, the Centre’s Office Bearers and other volunteer lawyers with the Dock Brief Committee and Outreach Project prepared to rush to the Sungai Besi police station to offer assistance and support to the detained volunteers.

At the Sungai Besi police station, Inspector Chanthran thanked the team members for their efforts in contributing to public awareness on their rights.  However, Inspector Chanthran indicated that the heading “Tindakan Anti PenyalahGunaan Kuasa Polis” on the pamphlet¹  was very disturbing.  He then informed the team that a report would be made for record purposes and that the team would be free to leave shortly. 

To their surprise, the team discovered that Officer Zulkifee was the one lodging a police report against them for distributing the pamphlets.  After approximately three hours of discussion and waiting, they were allowed to leave after their identity cards had been returned to them (after being photocopied), along with the pamphlets that had been confiscated earlier.

Jason’s request for a copy of the police report was denied on the grounds that it was a private and confidential document.  A further request to read the report directly from a computer monitor at the police station was also refused on the same grounds.  The team then departed from the police station and returned to LAC KL’s premises, where the Dock Brief Committee was debriefed by LAC KL Chairperson, Ravin Singh, and Assistant Honorary Secretary, Leena Kaur.