Malaysia letest News-Home Ministry backs cops, says no arrests over Sosma memo

Home Ministry backs cops, says no arrests over Sosma memo

Summary

• The Home Ministry says no arrests were made over Monday’s memorandum handover, clarifying that participants were merely summoned for routine security questioning under the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act.

• It emphasises that the police only recorded statements as part of standard procedures at the Setia Perkasa Complex.

• Police and Suaram earlier made conflicting claims on whether Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy was arrested or merely had his statement recorded.

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The Home Ministry denied any arrests against the group that handed over a memorandum at its headquarters on Monday, backing the police’s version of events.

This came after Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy claimed the police had briefly arrested him, while the police disputed this, saying that they merely recorded Sevan’s statement.

“The Home Ministry wishes to emphasise that the participants in the memorandum handover were merely summoned to give statement to the police following a routine security procedure report in line with the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act 1959.

“This police report is part of standard operating procedures whenever there are any incidents that do not follow procedures set by security for entering the Setia Perkasa Complex.

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“The police have also explained this in their press release where several participants have been summoned to give statements in relation to the report. No arrests have been made,” the Home Ministry said in a statement today.

On Monday, Sevan (above, in red T-shirt) and Suaram programme manager Azura Nasron accompanied family members of 32 detainees who wanted to meet Home Ministry representatives; ostensibly without a pass. The detainees are being held under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).

Suaram claimed officers from the Putrajaya district police headquarters came to its office in the afternoon.

They alleged the police initially claimed they wanted to serve Sevan and Azura with a notice under Section 111 of the Criminal Procedure Code to summon them for questioning, but turned out to want to arrest them instead.

However, Azura was absent as she was on medical leave, and only Sevan was taken to the Putrajaya district police headquarters for about an hour of questioning, after which he was released.

‘Only record statement’

Putrajaya district police chief Aidi Sham Mohamed earlier denied Sevan was arrested and told Malaysiakini they only recorded Sevan’s statement.

In turn, Sevan claimed the arresting officer had confirmed he was under arrest.

“Initially, the officer said they just wanted to take my statement but when I asked whether it could be done on another day, the officer said no.

“And when I asked if I was being arrested, he said yes and I was taken to the Putrajaya district police headquarters in a police vehicle,” he told Malaysiakini.

Several civil society groups, as well as DAP’s Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng and PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan, condemned the police’s actions as intimidations and harassment against a human rights defender.