Police are taking things too far in initiating investigations against two groups over their presence at the Prime Minister-cum-Cabinet Hari Raya Open House last Wednesday – the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) members and “I’m with RPK” supporters who had turned up at the Open House with T-shirts bearing the theme of their cause.
Four Hindraf members, K Shanti, wife of Hindraf leader-in-exile P Waythamoorthy, Hindraf information chief S Jayathas, Selangor coordinator K Tamilselvam and national events coordinator R Kannan have been served with written notice under Section 111 of the Criminal Procedure Code to report to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters on Tuesday to give their statements for illegal assembly under Section 27 (5) of the Police Act, as well as trespass under Section 447 of the Penal Code.
Three persons, lawyer-blogger Haris Ibrahim, lawyer Amarjit Sidhu and blogger P. Surind Raj are required to report to the police in connection with their “I’m with RPK” demonstration at the PWTC Hari Raya Open House.
Are the Umno leaders and Police seriously suggesting that the allegedly 200,000 people who visited the Prime Minister-cum-Cabinet Open House, particularly who went with more than five in number, could be investigated by the police for illegal assembly and trespass?
If so, Malaysians should think twice before they go to future Open Houses whether of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister or Cabinet Ministers – as they risk criminal sanctions!
The Police should stop harassing Hindraf and RPK supporters for visiting the Prime Minister-cum-Cabinet Hari Raya Open House as if they are common criminals and end their ridiculous investigations to concentrate on reducing crime.
Umno leaders and others are entitled to their view whether the peaceful and orderly presence of the two groups at the PWTC Hari Raya Open House should take the opportunity plead their cause for the release of the Hindraf Five and Raja Petra Kamaruddin, and they have done so – in many cases, gone to extremes in inciting racial and religious hatred – but it is completely unwarranted for the police to be dragooned into the intimidation process to create a culture of fear.
It is also utterly baseless for the Prime-Minister-in-waiting, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to go overboard in his remarks in Kuala Terengganu yesterday in suggesting that both groups were guilty of “unruly and indecent behaviour” which could even “undermine the country’s unity and security”.
It is such making a mountain out of a molehill which characterizes a tendency to abuse powers – which becomes very dangerous to the people and country if such a person is vested with huge powers as in the case of a Prime Minister-in-waiting.
Lim Kit Siang
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