Unlawful arrest of HRP member yet another continuing abuse of police powers.

This afternoon at about 2.10p.m. we had received a call that our pro-tem member one Mr.Rajalingam a/l Maniam I/C No 751221065113 of Mantin, N.Sembilan was arrested by the Seremban police.

Mr.Rajalingam informs us that the end of March 2010, he had left his former employer a Car workshop Operator. After checking the things he was taking out on his last day of work, his employer issued his last pay cheque. Rajalingam had no problems in the three years he had been employed there. Now some one and a half months later, this employer is accusing Mr.Rajalingam of stealing some shock obsorbers and demanded the “return” of the same which Rajalingam has denied. Rajalingam then had told the employer to lodge a police report if he was still not happy. Rajalingam believes a police report was lodged.

However instead of investigating first and then arresting, the Seremban police and the police nationwide as they have been doing as per our 20 years of monitoring under the NGO Police Watch and Human Rights Committee the police even in this latest case has arrested first and then and only then want to investigate. In fact upon arrest, Rajalingam had asked the arresting police team why he was arrested. The police had replied that the Sergeant was not available and so he has to be arrested and detained for (7) days. We believe this employer to get back at Rajalingam for leaving his job had solicited one mandore Inspector Krishnan to arrest and detain him.

Our P.Uthayakumar had immediately telephoned to speak to the OCPD of Seremban ACP Saiful Azli bin Haji Kamarusin but was told by his good Personal Assistant Puan Aminah that he was on an “outside assignment”. The Deputy OCPD is on a “kursus”. And that she would try and get the Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) or his deputy to call us back but we are not surprised we had never received the call as this is not the Polis Raja di Malay-sia culture.

In the circumstances we urge your goodself to order the police to take Rajalingam’s statement and to forthwith release him.

If there is criminal case against Rajalingam, he must be prosecuted in a Court of Law and according to the law.

After my ISA release I do no enjoy watching T.V anymore. But last night I had unusually watched Crime Investigation on Astro. A murder investigation took six years and only when there was enough evidence against the suspect did the United States District Attorney order his arrest and was he accordingly prosecuted. We are far from this judicious standards of policing and prosecution but we could certainly expect that the police do not arbitrally arrest and then only investigate. This has to stop.

This Malaysian Police above the law mindset and arrest first and investigate later practice can only be put to an end by the urgent implementation of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) as was recommended by the Police Royal Commission headed by Tun Dzaiddin way back in 2006.

Kindly revert to us accordingly.

Thank You.

Your Faithfully,

______________

P.Uthayakumar
Secretary General (pro tem)

c.c 1)Tan Sri Musa Bin Tan Sri Hj. Hassan,
Ketua Polis Negara,
Ibu Pejabat Polis Diraja,
Malaysia,

Bukit Aman, 50560 Kuala Lumpur Fax: 03-20707500
2) Dato’ Osman bin Salleh,
Ketua Polis Negeri Sembilan,
Ibu Pejabat Polis Kontinjen,
Negeri Sembilan,
Jalan Cambell,
70710 Seremban,
Negeri Sembilan
Fax: 06-7623506

3)ACP Saiful Azloi bin Haji Kamaruddin,
Ketua Polis Daerah Seremban,
Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah,
Seremban II,
70300 Seremban,
Negeri Sembilan
Fax: 03-6012624