(Malaysiakini) Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) believes its six members detained
initially under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) for allegedly being a
threat to public order have been placed under the Internal Security Act
(ISA).
In a statement released late last night, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan said this was the conclusion reached after information
on the slightly different procedures and treatment accorded those detained reached the party.
In a statement released late last night, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan said this was the conclusion reached after information
on the slightly different procedures and treatment accorded those detained reached the party.
The 'PSM 6' are Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar, (in stripped shirt)
PSM deputy chairperson M Saraswathy, central committee members Choo
Chon Kai, M Sukumaran, Sungai Siput branch secretary A Letchumanan, and
Youth leader Sarat Babu.
The Emergency Ordinance is similar to the Internal Security Act, in that both allow the police to detain suspects for up to 60 days.
The police had earlier said that they had been arrested under section 3(1) of the EO related to public order, after an earlier accusation that they and 24 other PSM activists were being investigated for 'waging war against the Agong' was dropped.
Later yesterday, however, lawyer Edmund Bon, one of the defence counsel of the activists, expressed the fear, after he had met two of the detainees, that the six are now under the ISA
Numbers in place of names
"They were treated like ISA detainees. In fact Sarawathy was told she was detained under the ISA," Bon told reporters.
Arutchelvan, in his statement disclosed that all six had been told that from now they would be called merely by their numbers and not their names. When questioned, they were told that that was the ISA arrest procedure.
"Besides that, they are being kept in solitary confinement. Though
the
family members were notified upon the arrest that they will be kept in
lock-ups (federal police headquarters in) Bukit Aman but now it appears
that they are being kept at a secret location. Most probably they are
being kept in the Police Remand Centre (PRC) in Batu 5, Jalan Ipoh, KL,"
said Arutchelvan.
"All these clearly show that the 6 had subjected to the ISA-style arrest and not the EO. Under the EO arrest, detainees are not blind-folded and are kept in district police lock-ups.
Actions expose hollow allegations
"Bukit Aman and PRC have solitary confinement facilities used to detain ISA detainees for the first 60 days," he added.
Describing the crackdown on political activists and the subsequent justifications by the authorities based on grounds of 'security' and 'public order' as mere "manipulations", Arutchelvan said PSM calls upon the prime minister and the home minister to immediately release the EO six.
He also cited the fact that Filipino activist Romeo Castillo and South Korean university student Song Min-Young - who had earlier been detained after having been found participating in a PSM roadshow and thereafter accused of being "foreign agents" - have both been cleared of all charges and deported.
Castillo was said to have been deported on Tuesday morning, while Song was sent off last Friday.
"Now it is clear that the foreign element threat said by the Deputy (inspector-general of police) IGP (Khalid Abu Bakar) and the built-up given by Umno mouthpiece, Utusan Malaysia, are just hollow allegations," said Arutchelvan.
The Emergency Ordinance is similar to the Internal Security Act, in that both allow the police to detain suspects for up to 60 days.
The police had earlier said that they had been arrested under section 3(1) of the EO related to public order, after an earlier accusation that they and 24 other PSM activists were being investigated for 'waging war against the Agong' was dropped.
Later yesterday, however, lawyer Edmund Bon, one of the defence counsel of the activists, expressed the fear, after he had met two of the detainees, that the six are now under the ISA
Numbers in place of names
"They were treated like ISA detainees. In fact Sarawathy was told she was detained under the ISA," Bon told reporters.
Arutchelvan, in his statement disclosed that all six had been told that from now they would be called merely by their numbers and not their names. When questioned, they were told that that was the ISA arrest procedure.
"Besides that, they are being kept in solitary confinement. Though
the
family members were notified upon the arrest that they will be kept in
lock-ups (federal police headquarters in) Bukit Aman but now it appears
that they are being kept at a secret location. Most probably they are
being kept in the Police Remand Centre (PRC) in Batu 5, Jalan Ipoh, KL,"
said Arutchelvan."All these clearly show that the 6 had subjected to the ISA-style arrest and not the EO. Under the EO arrest, detainees are not blind-folded and are kept in district police lock-ups.
Actions expose hollow allegations
"Bukit Aman and PRC have solitary confinement facilities used to detain ISA detainees for the first 60 days," he added.
Describing the crackdown on political activists and the subsequent justifications by the authorities based on grounds of 'security' and 'public order' as mere "manipulations", Arutchelvan said PSM calls upon the prime minister and the home minister to immediately release the EO six.
He also cited the fact that Filipino activist Romeo Castillo and South Korean university student Song Min-Young - who had earlier been detained after having been found participating in a PSM roadshow and thereafter accused of being "foreign agents" - have both been cleared of all charges and deported.
Castillo was said to have been deported on Tuesday morning, while Song was sent off last Friday.
"Now it is clear that the foreign element threat said by the Deputy (inspector-general of police) IGP (Khalid Abu Bakar) and the built-up given by Umno mouthpiece, Utusan Malaysia, are just hollow allegations," said Arutchelvan.
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