PETALING JAYA: Hours before the Bersih 5 rally kicked off, police made preemptive arrests of Bersih leaders, Red Shirts leader Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos and some of his members, Opposition politicians and student activists.
Jamal was detained at about 1.30am today. It was learnt that the Sungai Besar Umno division chief was brought to the Selangor police headquarters at Shah Alam.
Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah and secretariat member Mandeep Singh were picked up by police, supposedly over the organisation’s funding by a US billionaire.
But Bersih 2.0 steering committee member Jay Jay Denis believed their detention was linked to today’s rally.
He said police and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission personnel raided Bersih’s office.
“They said that it was in connection with George Soros’ Open Society Foundations,” he added.
They were escorted from the Bersih office at 5.25pm by a team of officers from Bukit Aman and the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters.
Both Maria and Mandeep were not handcuffed. They were brought to the Petaling Jaya police headquarters for questioning.
Among the Red Shirts activists arrested were Razali Zakaria and Ariffin Abu Bakar. Jamal claimed that the Red Shirts rally will proceed despite his arrest.
DAP’s Seremban MP Anthony Loke was arrested at 2.30pm at Bukit Aman over a speech he made during Pakatan Harapan’s convention last Saturday. Former DAP assemblyman Ronnie Liu, who went to Bukit Aman after Loke’s detention, was arrested at 6.10pm.
DAP’s Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng tweeted that Liu was picked up for intending to riot at the rally today.
Student activist Muhammad Luqman Nul Hakim Zul Razali was detained in Genting Sempah at 6.30pm while Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) leader S. Arutchelvan was taken in at 7.10pm in Brickfields.
Both were brought to the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters.
“From the information I have gathered, he has been arrested. He was brought to IPK KL I think,” PSM chairman Dr Nasir Hashim said.
DAP members Jimmy Wong and Lee Khai Ming were also arrested in Balakong and Kajang at about 7pm.
Gabungan Tangkap MO1 spokesman Anis Syafiqah Md Yusof was arrested at her home in Petaling Jaya and taken to the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters.
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