KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 ― Former Bersih co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan was transported to the Jinjang central police lock-up this morning where investigators will seek to remand her further.
She had been detained at the Dang Wangi police station late last night over her participation in the peaceful May Day rally against the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
The former Bar Council president was seen arriving at the Jinjang central lock up at 11.40am in a police van.
PAS’s Dr Hatta Ramli was also seen in the van although it is unclear if he was also arrested.
He had arrived at the Dang Wangi police station earlier this morning to give his statement to the police.
Earlier, PKR lawyers Latheefa Koya and N. Surendran arrived to represent Ambiga for the remand hearing.
It is understood that DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke, who is also the Seremban MP, and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) secretary-general S. Arutchelvan are also at the same lock-up facility for their remand hearings.
Loke is represented by DAP's Gobind Singh Deo and Arutchelvan by Roger Chan.
In the latest update provided by police, 32 individuals including Ambiga, Loke and Arutchelvan were arrested over the protest, with their detention being under the Sedition Act and Section 143 of the Penal Code that covers participation in an illegal assembly.
Section 143 states that those who are members of an unlawful assembly shall be punished with a maximum six-month jail term or a fine or both.
The rally by civil society movement #KitaLawan kicked off shortly after 2.30pm yesterday afternoon from several meeting points and drew a reported crowd of nearly 10,000 participants to the streets of the capital.
There were no report of injuries or casualties arising from the rally, that is said to have progressed peacefully in a march by a sea of thousands of Malaysians clothed in red and black.
After the event, however, police claimed on their official Facebook account that the rally was not fully under control, citing incidents of alleged vandalism and smoke bombs being thrown by the protesters to back up its claim.
The police also said protesters had brought children to the rally — which could be an offence under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.
Today, PSM coordinator for the May Day rally, E. Parameswary accused the Inspector General of Police bad faith for punishing the organisers of the peaceful rally.
“Article 10 of the Federal Constitution clearly states that every citizen has the right to freedom of speech.
“The rally with the theme 'BatalGST' includes 17 demands from the people including a minimum wage of RM1,500, comfortable housing, cancel TPPA, guarantee women's rights, guarantee migrant workers' rights, rights of students and abolish oppressive laws and these are supported by 124 organisations,” she said.
Bersih chairman Maria Chin Abdullah and DAP Youth Chief Teo Kok Seong were also present at the press conference.
