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Panel: Let’s work together

Saturday, 07 July 2012 09:34am

©Malay Mail (Used by permission)

by Ikram Ismail

THE Bersih 3.0 independent probe panel wants to work with the Bar Council, Malaysia Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) and the Bersih 3.0 steering committee to determine what actually happened during the April 28 rally.

Panel chairman, former inspector-general of police (IGP) Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar, said the panel secretariat will invite the three parties to share their findings.

“Our secretariat is contacting the Bersih committee and Bar Council for a meeting. However, it depends if they are willing to cooperate and meet with us or not,” he told reporters yesterday during the panel’s visit to Dataran Merdeka and other locations in the city affected by the rally.

Hanif said the panel was willing to wait for the outcome of Suhakam’s inquiry.

“Our panel will then compile all the reports by the three parties to include into our final report,” he said.

Hanif declined to give details of the panel’s progress.

He said they had not set any specific time-frame to wrap up the investigation.

Hanif, together with the other four members of the panel — Kumpulan Akhbar Sinar Harian managing director Datuk Husammuddin Yaacub, Sin Chew Group legal adviser Liew Peng Chuen, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia psychologist Prof Dr Ruszmi Ismail and new panel member Federal Court judge Tan Sri Nik Hashim Nik Ab Rahman, who replaced former chief justice of Borneo Tan Sri Steve Sim — arrived at Dataran Merdeka at 10.30am by bus.

Upon their arrival, they were briefed by Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) representative Dang Wangi OCPD ASP Mohamad Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman and theSun reporter Pauline Wong, who is one of the witnesses at the panel’s inquiry, on what had happened during the rally.

They also visited the area where the authorities had installed the barricades which were later breached.

They spent 30 minutes there before continuing to Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, in front of Sogo, before heading back to Pulapol.

Earlier, at Pulapol, the panel took statements from witnesses at the rally.

“Currently, most of our witnesses are policemen, including FRU members, and four members of the public,” Hanif said.

“It was interesting to hear their statements,”

Members of the panel were also given a demonstration on FRU training and equipment.

“From the demonstration, our panel now has a clearer picture and understanding of FRU’s philosophy. It will help us to determine if the police were out to attack protesters or secure public safety on that day,” he said, adding that the panel would be neutral in its decision.

According to Hanif, the panel was also viewing the Bersih 3.0 videos posted on YouTube, some videos contributed by individuals, and 78 hours of police footage.

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