KUCHING, Nov 24 — Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president and four other party members were released on police bail after the police have decided not to apply for a remand order against them, according to one of the lawyers representing the five said today,
Lawyer Dominique Ng said the police have yet to refer any charges against Voon, Lue Cheng Hing, Phang Aik Hua, Chan Chee Wee and Danny Voon.
“However, the remand application listed out offences under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act and Section 233 of the Multimedia Act,” Ng said.
The other counsels representing the five are Lim Heng Choo, RJ Noel, Patrick Voon, Steven Sia and Alex Kong.
In a statement late last night, Voon said he was told he was arrested under the Sedition Act 1948, but the police did not tell him what activities or words that he had said were against the law.
He said he believes that the arrest had something to do with their protest against Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) for planning to form the federal government with PAS, Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN).
“We are only carrying our political work peacefully and I don’t see anything wrong. I consider the police coming to arrest us during the night when our family members are sleeping is something that should be avoided.
“The police could have called us in the morning. I was already in bed when I heard my phone ringing.
“I suggest such an arrest late at night should stop and is unnecessary because being a retired police officer, myself, I am known to the police.
“I can say depriving me of my sleep is against human rights and unconstitutional as depriving a person’s sleep affects the person’s life,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri said that the five were arrested following three police reports that were lodged based on video clips that were shared on WhatsApp and Facebook yesterday evening.
“In the videos, a man was seen using a loudhailer in front of a hotel on Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg and near a commercial area on Jalan Datuk Tawi Sli,” he said during a press conference here today.
He added that the political party leader had allegedly condemned the proposed alliance between GPS and PAS in the videos.
Mohd Azman said videos of the group’s vehicles displaying banners stating “No to PAS” being driven around the city were also circulated online.
