The Police arrested 2 activists from Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) Johor Bahru
branch who were leafleting at a demonstration in front of Menteri Besar's
residence, Johor Bahru on 17 June 2007. The demonstration was calling for MB's
attention and action on the rising crime rates in Johor Bahru.
The police said the two activists will be brought to a magistrate's court today
for remand order application. Suaram condemns strongly the arbitrary arrest and
remand of the human rights defenders. The police of Johor Bahru is wasting
public monies in intimidating human rights defenders instead of doing their job
of busting the crimes.
The two activists are Nyam Kee Han (picture) and See Siew Min. Nyam is the coordinator of
Suaram's Johor Bahru branch while See Siew Min is a secretariat member of the
branch.
They are currently being held at the IPD Johor Bahru (Selatan) police station.
The leaflet that they distributed calls for immediate setting up of the
Independent Police Complaint and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), as recommended
by the Royal Commission on police reform.
The Federal Constitution of Malaysia and international Human Rights law enshrine
freedom of assembly, the arbitrary arrests by police is clearly an abuse of
power and a persecution to activists who tried to expose the slack attitude of
the police force in resolving crimes.
We call on the police to immediately and unconditionally release the 2 arrested
activists.
Background
Recently, there have been increasing public outrage on the rising crimes in
Johor Bahru, evidently with a series of robberies and rapes cases. A group of
Johor Bahru's residents on their own initiative organized a demonstration on 17
June 2007 in front of the residence of Johor Menteri Besar. They call for the
attention of the MB to take action to reduce the crime rates in JB.
The two activists attended in support of the residents and at the same time
distributed a flyer calling for the setting up of the Independent Police
Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), one of the 125 recommendations of
a royal commissin set up by the government to reform the police force.
When the demonstration almost ended, the police suddenly arrested the two
activists.
Action Needed
Solidarity action for the two human rights defenders is urgently needed. Please
state your protest against the arrest of the 2 activists and demand for the
immediate release of them via faxes and phone calls to the following:
1. Johor Bahru Police Station
ASP Nor Hashim's mobile phone : +60 12 7235776
CID chief of IPD Johor Bahru (Selatan)
OCPD: ACP Safie bin Ismail
IPD Johor Bahru (Selatan)
Ibupejabat Polis Daerah Johor Bahru
Polis Diraja Malaysia
JKR No.489, Jalan Meldrum, 80000
Johor Bahru, Johor,
Malaysia
Tel: +60 7 2232222-27
Fax: +60 7 2246925
2. Tan Sri Musa Hassan
Inspector General of Police
Ibupejabat PDRM,
Bukit Aman,
50560 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Fax-03-22731326
3. Tan Sri Abu Talib bin Othman Chairman
National Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM)
Tingkat 29, Menara Tun Razak,
Jalan Raja Laut,
50350 Kuala Lumpur
Fax-03-26125620
Sad written by Lim Sey Wee ,
Monday, June 18 2007 08:44 pm
Another sad incident of abuse of power by PRDM which opposes IPCMC.
So long as IPCMC is not set up, such abuses will continue to happen. Stronger opposition is the only solution.
Lim Sey Wee
SIAPA RAJA DI SINI? written by Stephen Tan Ban Cheng,
Tuesday, June 19 2007 06:29 am
The tax-payers pay them more and they arrest the tax-payers. The worst things here is that the arrestees are employees of a non-government organisation fighting against the increasing crime rate; at least that is the public perception.
Siapa raja? Di sini siapa raja? The tax-payers or their political masters?
The police force must be professional. They must answer to Parliament. Otherwise, let us not even have elections to Parliament. Why pay more for another farce?
Stephen Tan Ban Cheng
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Another sad incident of abuse of power by PRDM which opposes IPCMC.
So long as IPCMC is not set up, such abuses will continue to happen. Stronger opposition is the only solution.
Lim Sey Wee