KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — Bukit Aman’s Special Branch (SB) chief Commissioner Datuk Mohamed Farid Abu Hassan pledged yesterday to act swiftly after two activists alleged intimidation by one of his officers.
The activists, one with the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) and another from Universiti Malaya’s (UM) student body, claimed they were intimidated over events held in solidarity with Hong Kong demonstrators objecting to a proposed extradition law.
“I will be looking into the reported allegation. We do not condone such fear-mongering tactics,” Mohamed Farid said in a short reply when contacted by Malay Mail.
According to media reports yesterday, KLSCAH Youth chief Siah Kwong Liang and outgoing UM Association of New Youth (Umany) president Wong Yan Ke were summoned separately by the police but both alleged intimidation by one SB officer only identified as a ‘Tuan Tan”.
Malaysiakini reported that Siah had been called to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters on June 28, eight days after organising a forum on Hong Kong’s anti-extradition protests.
Siad said his interviewers asked him for his views on China and the Communist Party of China, among others, before “Tuan Tan” joined.
“He told me: ‘The Special Branch has vast powers. I can send a letter to the Registrar of Societies to disband your society. I can call your employer and ask if they still want you to work for them. We can even influence your studies. You can’t graduate and get a job” Siah claimed in the Malaysiakini article.
As for Wong, he alleged a run-in with a similarly named SB officer on July 3 when he was being interviewed over a petition campaign in public universities and for joining a rally in support of Hong Kong, on June 16.
Wong described the officer as intimidating and menacing, further alleging that “Tuan Tan” suggested he could transfer RM2 million into Umany’s bank account and have it deregistered ostensibly for taking illegal funds.
The SB is the police’s intelligence unit. The unit is already in the public sphere currently after a Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) inquiry concluded that its operatives were involved in the enforced disappearance of at least one Christian pastor and an activist.
