Detained MP rushed to hospital

Reports allege mental torture and other forms of ill-treatment of PSM campaigners arrested last Saturday.

TAIPING: Sungai Siput MP Dr D Jeyakumar and two others have suffered health problems while in police detention and are warded at the Penang General Hospital.

Meanwhile, five reports have been lodged with the Penang police headquarters alleging that personnel at the headquarters subjected the three and others arrested last Saturday to mental torture and other forms of ill treatment.

The other two in hospital are Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) deputy chief M Sarasvathy and a bus driver known only as Selvam.

They were among 30 people arrested while distributing anti-Barisan Nasional leaflets as part of a three-day information campaign in the northern part of the peninsula. Police accused them of waging war against the King and trying to revive communist ideology.

Apparently Jeyakumar, who has a heart ailment, did not get his medication on time and had suffered chest pains while Sarasvathy was dehydrated for lack of drinking water. Selvam’s condition is not known. No visitors are allowed in their ward.

Of the 30 arrested on Saturday, seven are detained at the Penang police headquarters, 21 in Kepala Batas and two at the Sungai Dua police station in Butterworth.

There is also a report about ill-treatment in the Kepala Batas police lockup.

In one of the reports at the Penang police headquarters, Jeyakumar’s sister D Prema said she gave her brother his medication late yestyerday afternoon, but that police had failed to give him his next dose on time.

Jeyakumar’s wife,  R Mohana Rani, reported that police turned down her request to give him his medication at 9.30 this morning, agreeing to administer it to him themselves only at noon.

Another of the reports alleged mental torture through solitary confinement in an attempt to extract confessions.

In another report, lawyer Rowena Nair said he was denied access to his clients.
The report in Kepala Batas was lodged by PSM central committee member V Panneer Selvam. He alleged that:

• Detainee G Pakiai Letchumy was punched and spat at in the face by police personnel.

• Detainees were told to drink from the toilet bowls to quench their thirst

• A diabetic detainee who asked for mineral water to wash down her medicine was instead given syrup.

• Detainee P Jothi was kicked by police personnel.

• The lockup toilets had no water supply.

• Fourteen detainees were kept in a lockup meant for six.