KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 ― Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members and supporters are rallying outside the Dang Wangi district police headquarters here to demand the authorities free S. Arutchelvan who was arrested last night for commenting on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy conviction.
The group of about 30 people bearing placards gathered here earlier this morning claiming that Arutchelvan, who is the socialist party’s secretary-general, is a victim of police intimidation as he would have voluntarily given his statement to the force without having to be be cuffed and hauled to the station.
“We are warning the Inspector-General of Police (Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar) or the nation's Twitter chief.
“We are not perpetrating violence or wrongdoing but merely voicing out against the injustices in our country,” said PSM Youth member Khalid Ismath who is leading the protest.
Arutchelvan was taken to Dang Wangi last night and held in lockup overnight to aid in investigations into his comment that Anwar’s imprisonment had been a politically-motivated one.
PSM deputy chairperson M. Saras said Arutchelvan's detention was a wrongful arrest as he could have been simply called in to have his statement recorded.
“If they have an issue with us they can just call us, but their action in deploying almost 15 policemen to haul up Arul (Arutchelvan) is a grave injustice.
“We ask the police to free Arul immediately because he can give his statement anytime. What the police did shows that they just want to intimidate the people.
“We will continue this protest till Arul is released,” Saras added.
Director of Kuala Lumpur contingent crime prevention and community safety department SAC Zainuddin Ahmad told Malay Mail Online yesterday that Arutchelvan was detained over a PSM statement on February 10 denouncing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy verdict as a “political judgment, beyond reasonable doubt”.
Arutchelvan’s lawyers ― Datuk S. Ambiga, Latheefa Koya, Amer Hamzah Arshad, New Sin Yew and Syahredzan Johan also turned up and negotiated for over an hour with the police to secure his release.
Police also dispatched a patrol car to monitor the crowd who have been chanting “hidup rakyat” and “hancur BN”.
Malay Mail Online yesterday reported that over 10 police officers went to Arutchelvan’s house in Kajang, Selangor to take him and his belongings for investigations.
According to a report by English daily theSun last week, the police were looking to investigate Jingga 13 chief and PKR leader Fariz Musa, Arutchelvan, and Penang state exco Dr Afif Bahardin.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar was reported as saying that Fariz will be investigated allegedly for inciting street protests, Arutchelvan for claiming political conspiracy in Anwar’s case, while Afif had purportedly asked the public to no longer trust the judiciary.
Cartoonist Zunar or Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaque was remanded for three days last week after he was arrested over a Twitter post that mentioned the judiciary and political masters.
Other than the cartoonist, Khalid also ordered police to investigate DAP MP Nga Kor Ming and PKR MP Rafizi Ramli for sedition, both for tweets on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s conviction.
Putrajaya had previously pledged to repeal the Sedition Act 1948 that critics say is used to stifle political opposition and dissent, but later announced that it will be retained and expanded instead.
The Federal Court on Tuesday upheld the Court of Appeal’s 2014 ruling that had reversed Anwar’s acquittal of sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, also sentencing him to five years’ jail.
