Motion to discuss police brutality rejected

The Sun
by Hemananthani Sivanandam

KUALA LUMPUR (July 12, 2011): A motion to discuss alleged police brutality during last Saturday’s Bersih rally was rejected in the Dewan Negara.

The motion, filed by Opposition Senator Dr Syed Husin Ali was rejected by Senate President Tan Sri Abu Zahar Nika Ujang in chambers today.

Syed Husin said the matter should be discussed in the House as it had public importance.

“This matter is specific because it refers to the authorities, the police who acted brutally towards the public who only wanted to have a peaceful assembly in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday who demanded reformation for a better electoral system,” he said.

Syed Husin said the authorities also fired teargas into Tung Shin Hospital but the management has denied the allegation that the police fired teargas canisters and water cannons in the direction of the hospital during the rally.

He also said that the teargas fired had caused the death of the rally supporter Baharuddin Ahmad, 59.

Police have refuted the claims that they were responsible for the death as Baharuddin’s post-mortem results showed that he died of a heart ailment.

Syed Husin said that there were also other Pakatan Rakyat leaders such as PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu; PAS Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad and Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s bodyguard Fayad Al-Bakri who suffered injuries due to the police action.

“These are not allegations, I witnessed it myself during the rally the brutality of the police,” he said, adding that the police did not warn the public before firing the shots.

Syed Husin said the matter should be debated in the House because it concerns the misuse of Section 27 of the Police Act and Article 10 of the Federal Constitution, which gives citizens the right to peaceful assembly.