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Suaram strongly condemns the police arrests of eleven (11) people in a peaceful candlelight vigil to mourn the death of democracy of Perak crisis outside the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Member of Parliament Teresa Kok’s office on 19 May 2009. Among those arrested were Teo Nie Ching (Serdang Member of Parliament), Jenice Lee (Teratai state assemblyperson) and 9 party workers.

The arrest has once again demonstrated the high-handedness of the police force in handling peaceful assemblies.

These arrests sum up to a total of 130 arrests (142 individuals, as Teo Nie Ching, Jenice Lee and Suara Keadilan Chinese edition editor Law Teck Hao arrested twice) in the past two weeks – an alarming number which points to the fact that the police had reacted in an unjustifiable manner




Recent events clearly demonstrate the government’s growing repression against public dissent, especially in light of the political developments in Perak.

The arrests are a clear form of intimidation by the BN government, with the connivance of the police, to silence the public’s discontentment in the civil disobedience movement that was initiated by Wong Chin Huat’s call for all Malaysians to wear black to mourn the “death of democracy” in Perak.

Furthermore, the way the police made the arrests is in itself a blatant abuse of power, unprofessional and an excessive show of the force by the police, especially since in most cases the public had agreed to cooperate with the police.

Clearly, the police has gone beyond their powers in the arrests which were made in bad faith.

The arrests and the detention of these inviduals raise further doubts on the impartiality of the police whether the police force is now being ‘used’ by the certain quarters for their own political agenda.

The police credibility is once again put in test. The unprofessional treatment and abuse of powers by the police in the recent arrests of the public, activists and also lawyers only further reveal the urgent need for the establishing the IPCMC (Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission). Only in that way, the new Prime Minister and the police force will regain the public confidence in them.

The police are a public service unit responsible to protect the rights and dignity of the people.

The UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials stipulates that law enforcement officials must maintain and uphold the human rights of all person and Article 5 of the UN Code also spells out that no law enforcement official may inflict, instigate or tolerate any act of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment or invoke superior orders or exceptional circumstances, such as a threat to national security, to justify these actions.

The police therefore must not be seen acting in contrary to the rights as continued act of aggression and abuse of power will only lead the public to lose confidence in this crucial public service.

The police are accountable to the people and not politicians or certain political parties. We urge the government and the police to stop all forms of intimidation against the public and respect the freedom of assembly and freedom of expression of the people immediately!


Released by,

Nalini.E
Coordinator SUARAM