We are a police state. You can get kidnapped by the police with no access to a lawyer

[Adrian Wong]

It's official. Malaysia has become a police state. It appears the police have the right to "kidnap" you from your office, confiscate your computers (without a warrant?) or even leaving a receipt and hide you from your family and lawyers.

I just read about the recent "kidnapping" cum arrest of one Nat Tan. To be honest, I have no idea who he is until today. But who he is isn't really important. The fact of the matter is he had just been arrested by our "vaunted" police without even a nod towards his civil rights.

He was not allowed access to his lawyers. The police even tried to hide him by shuttling him from police station to police station, and kept denying his whereabouts. They even confiscated his computers (no mention of any warrant) without leaving a receipt. The exact charges for which he was being arrested, as well as the officer in charge, kept changing. Best of all, he was denied food and water!

This is Malaysia's finest at their best. Not working to protect the citizens, but oppressing them instead. Is this the kind of country we want? Is this the kind of police we want? It's time to speak up. It's time to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Here's part of the report written by Elizabeth Wong on the issue :

Nat was taken in by 3 police officers in plain clothes, who according to his office, were taking him to Bukit Aman. They were too shocked to even take photos or names of the guys.

Latheefa (Lat), a lawyer told Nat to stay put until she and William Leong, another lawyer arrived. By the time, she got there, Nat could not be found and his phone was unanswered.

Lat picked up Li Tsin and I and got to Bukit Aman around 6-ish. They denied all knowledge of his arrest and said he was not in the building. They even asked, are you sure they were police officers?

By that time, smelling the usual police BS, I’d lost my patience, standing there for an hour. So I had the Suaram office put out our standard urgent alert on this sorts of incommunicado arrests, and had it sent to all international human rights groups including the UN and World Organisation Against Torture. Yap, the Suaram head, had just touched down at KLIA, and he okayed it.

We were told to lodge a police report on possible abduction. We insisted that we lodged it at Bukit Aman, but they said go to IPD Dang Wangi. By that time, Jed (2020freelunch) and Tian Chua arrived.

In the end, two cops came from there, took Li Tsin’s report. Both of us went into the patrol car, with the whirly blue lights, which drove us to Jalan Stadium to lodge another report. They then assigned an officer, Saiful, from IPD Kelana Jaya on the case and told her to GO THERE to give a statement (WTF).

Meanwhile we were bored so we surfed on the police’s computer at the reception area, while gawking at the open network system and reading their files … bodoh. We decided to have dinner instead and return to Bukit Aman for the demo. My handphone and her’s had died by then. In the meantime, Lat had received information that the Investigating Officer is DSP Victor (016 304 4669). When she finally got through to him, we found out he had just gotten off the plane from Sydney (WTF). Victor said, they were investigating under the Penal Code.

Lat then found out another fella from the Cyber-crime Division, Bukit Aman, ACP Tn Mohd Kamaruddin (019 6000 135), was in charge. At 10 pm, we were informed that they were holding him after all, and that he was being investigated under the Officials Secrets Act (WTF).

15 min later, we were told he was at Jalan Dato Onn. The family, Li Tsin and William went ahead while we continued our protest-vigil as we had four people (Sim from Anwar Ibrahim’s office, Tian, Shamsul Iskandar, lawyer and head of KeADILan Youth and Yap from Suaram) inside Bukit Aman trying to squeeze more information, and to let them know - we mean business . Some 30 people came for the vigil, even people who didn’t know Nat! We had a few speeches from Amnesty, Suaram, KeADILan Youth, his friends etc.; candles and banners.

Once everyone was out, we proceeded to Jalan Dato Onn. The parents still didn’t get to see him or go in. About 20 minutes later, we were informed he was brought to IPD Dang Wangi - right where we were, lodging the ‘we fear he’s kidnapped’ report! (WTF WTF!)

So all of us rushed there and crowded the reception room. Nat’s 4th legal counsel, senior rights lawyer Sivarasa Rasiah joined us. Finally, the police station confirmed Nat was brought in at around 10.30 pm. They didn’t allow the lawyers to meet Nat.

We negotiated for the family (and Li Tsin) to take some basics bought by Yap like toothbrush, toothpaste, face towel, soap and a bottle of water (yep, no drinking water inside). Li Tsin brought a small note from all of us - stay cool, we’re all out here supporting you, a big ‘heart’ sign, and my line in bright red ink, “Not a word to the cops, say you will only speak in court”.

Then Li Tsin came out asking for the packet of claypot chicken rice as Nat hadn’t eaten since he was arrested! (WTF)

When they came out, Li Tsin said, Nat asked for sandwiches (aiyo!) and he said he was alright.

Nat was informed by the police he has been arrested for investigation over a comment left on one of his blog posts, which put the link pointing to a website which reported on the deputy minister for Internal Security, Johari Bahrum, being involved in fee-for-freedom. (Yep - the same minister exonerated by the ACA on Thursday.)

Hogwash.

The police at the station said, Section 420 of the Penal Code. Yep, another change.

We don’t know what will happen to Nat. Tonight he has to sleep at Dang Wangi which is one of the most notorious lockups in this part of town. The police refuses to tell us whether he will be freed on Saturday or he will be remanded up to ten days.

I've taken the liberty of posting a large part of her blog because I felt it was too important to just put a short quote. For the rest of her blog post, please click here.

More in this report by his employee - http://www.infernalramblings.com/art..._Politics/541/

Opposition leader, Lim Kit Siang, also has a blog post on this issue - http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2007/07/...rt-infamously/

Shame on the police. Shame! Where's your honour, you men and women in blue? Have you no honour? Shame on YOU!

[karhoe]

Meanwhile we were bored so we surfed on the police’s computer at the reception area, while gawking at the open network system and reading their files … bodoh

Why not send some kuda trojan in ?

[Adrian Wong]

Originally Posted by karhoe

Why not send some kuda trojan in ?

Trojan horse? I don't think it will make a difference. Their system is all screwed-up as it is, I think.

[The_YongGrand]

Originally Posted by Adrian Wong

It's official. Malaysia has become a police state. It appears the police have the right to "kidnap" you from your office, confiscate your computers (without a warrant?) or even leaving a receipt and hide you from your family and lawyers.

I just read about the recent "kidnapping" cum arrest of one Nat Tan. To be honest, I have no idea who he is until today. But who he is isn't really important. The fact of the matter is he had just been arrested by our "vaunted" police without even a nod towards his civil rights.

He was not allowed access to his lawyers. The police even tried to hide him by shuttling him from police station to police station, and kept denying his whereabouts. They even confiscated his computers (no mention of any warrant) without leaving a receipt. The exact charges for which he was being arrested, as well as the officer in charge, kept changing. Best of all, he was denied food and water!

This is Malaysia's finest at their best. Not working to protect the citizens, but oppressing them instead. Is this the kind of country we want? Is this the kind of police we want? It's time to speak up. It's time to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Here's part of the report written by Elizabeth Wong on the issue :


I've taken the liberty of posting a large part of her blog because I felt it was too important to just put a short quote. For the rest of her blog post, please click here.

More in this report by his employee - http://www.infernalramblings.com/art..._Politics/541/

Opposition leader, Lim Kit Siang, also has a blog post on this issue - http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2007/07/...rt-infamously/

Shame on the police. Shame! Where's your honour, you men and women in blue? Have you no honour? Shame on YOU!

They are all main-main one. They are getting ALL of their priorities WRONG, well, you know...

[jasperchc]

Well, the US is doing it as well, with guamtanomo and all. And all those secret prison in europe, secret CIA flight, etc, the CIA can just suspect you of being a suspected terrorist and nab you from the street, hold you indefinately without access to lawyer. There were news about a german citizen being kidnapped by the CIA last time on CNN.

[Adrian Wong]

Originally Posted by jasperchc

Well, the US is doing it as well, with guamtanomo and all. And all those secret prison in europe, secret CIA flight, etc, the CIA can just suspect you of being a suspected terrorist and nab you from the street, hold you indefinately without access to lawyer. There were news about a german citizen being kidnapped by the CIA last time on CNN.

Well, at least it's the CIA that's doing it. We are using COPS here.

I mean, the cops here are telling us that they do not have the manpower to protect us against the ridiculously bad crime rate. They even suggest we help protect ourselves by implementing neighbourhood watches.

On the other hand, they have all the free time in the world to kidnap people related to the opposition party.

I think it's obvious that our police are not only lazy and corrupt, they are nothing but lackeys of our corrupt politicians.

[Adrian Wong]

I think he was released earlier today, probably due to a lack of evidence. But oddly enough, his release was delayed until about 5:15 pm, because the police wanted to take his statement.

For all the time he was incarcerated, the police apparently did not have the time to take his statement. They were probably busy eradicating evil aliens and/or terrorists on their PCs. One officer was seen busy playing Red Alert 2 on his laptop.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by jasperchc

Well, the US is doing it as well, with guamtanomo and all. And all those secret prison in europe, secret CIA flight, etc, the CIA can just suspect you of being a suspected terrorist and nab you from the street, hold you indefinately without access to lawyer. There were news about a german citizen being kidnapped by the CIA last time on CNN.

except that you know about it and you're able to make noises, protest about it, which is the idea of a free press

our mainstream press? the fact that nothing is made out of this on the mainstream press in malaysia only tells me how 'free' we are

[Dashken]

They just want to tell us what they can do to us if we don't shut up. Apparently, they want us to fear them. Fear of what they can do if we don't sit and keep quiet. Election is near, they want us to know what they are capable of if they lose.

Fear is in the air...

[Adrian Wong]

Originally Posted by Brian

except that you know about it and you're able to make noises, protest about it, which is the idea of a free press

our mainstream press? the fact that nothing is made out of this on the mainstream press in malaysia only tells me how 'free' we are

Yeah, the best part was... major newspapers like The Star got their information "wrong". Well, I could read that as deliberate misinformation, but I have no proof, right? Too bad they didn't bother checking for proof before printing.