Eight detained during rallies, Bersih chief under Sosma

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have arrested another eight people following the rallies, while Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah has been detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) and can be held for a further 28 days.

City police chief Comm Datuk Amar Singh said the eight arrested yesterday were activists Hishamuddin Rais and Howard Lee, cartoonist Fahmi Reza, Umno Youth exco Datuk Armand Azha Abu Hanifah. PKR vice-president Tian Chua was also arrested last night.

“We also arrested a 49-year-old man for flying a drone under Section 143 of the Domestic Flight Rules, a 33-year-old man for possessing a parang and bronze knuckles, and another 33-year-old man for kicking a man believed to be a Bersih supporter,” he said.

He said throughout the rally, supporters were seen bringing children which was an offence under Section 4(2)(f) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.

“Further action will be taken against those who committed this offence,” he said, adding that police received 28 reports in connection with the rallies.

Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen said police confirmed Maria, who was arrested on Friday, was being detained under Sosma.

“Sosma detention is unbelievably shocking against someone like Maria. The legislation when debated in Parliament clearly excluded Bersih,” said Paulsen.

“As predicted by many, Sosma has now been used against Bersih when it should only be used against genuine security cases or terrorists.”

Earlier yesterday, Red Shirts group leader Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos and two of his supporters were remanded for four days over a fracas with the police at Ampang Point on Nov 13.

The Ampang magistrate’s court issued the remand order for Jamal and his two supporters to facilitate investigations into rioting, obstructing a policeman on duty and using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty.

Red Shirts legal adviser Datuk Mohd Imran Tamrin said the three, aged between 28 and 46, would be held at the Shah Alam central lockup.

Jamal was detained at about 1.30am at a hotel in the federal capital and brought to the Selangor police headquarters in Shah Alam.

Others arrested since Friday were DAP leaders Ronnie Liu, Jimmy Wong and Lee Khai Meng, Bersih’s Mandeep Singh, student activists Muhamad Luqman Nul Haqim Zul Razali and Anis Syafiqah Md Yusof, PSM leader S. Arutchelvan, Hairol Nizam Md Nor, Razali Zakaria and Muhamad Safwan Anang@Talib.

Seremban MP Anthony Loke was arrested at a hotel in KL Sentral. He had earlier been detained in Seremban under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act.