KUALA LUMPUR: DAP have condemned police action in breaking up last night's gathering in Petaling Jaya to mark the first anniversary of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) rally.
Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said he was "shocked at the violence by the police."
"I cannot understand why peaceful citizens and elected representatives were attacked," added the Penang Chief Minister.
Police detained 23 people, including PJ Utara MP Tony Pua, Selangor Exco Ronnie Liu and Kampung Tunku state assemblyman Lau Weng San at the rally in PJ New Town and released all except one this morning at 7.30am.
Also detained were two members of the press and Father Paulino Miranda, parish priest of the Church of the Divine Mercy in Shah Alam.
Pua showed reporters in Parliament a shirt he had worn last night and claimed that all the buttons had been ripped out due to manhandling by the police.
"Even though I said I would cooperate and walk to the police truck when they arrested me, they still tore my shirt. Three other police personnel also attacked me, one kneed me in the belly and another aimed a kick at my shin," he said.
Pua also insisted that police had charged and dispersed the crowd while they were singing “Negaraku” to end proceedings for the night, a claim that Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar denied.
Lau lodged a police report at 4.29am while in police custody, claiming that he had been punched twice by a police officer.
Showing reporters the cuts on his cheek and lip, he called the "unruly and aggressive" police behaviour unnecessary.
DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang questioned the "massive deployment of police personnel to break up a peaceful gathering by excessive police force and violence" as it showed that it was being made a priority over "the mobilisation of police to keep crime low."
Earlier, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar told reporters in the Parliament lobby that he was not aware of the details of the incident as he had not obtained a report.
"Police work is police work. They are responsible for maintaining law and order. This is routine police work," he said.
Syed Hamid added that if there was any unhappiness with the police, people could lodge reports.
By Shannon Teoh
Malaysian Insider
10/11/08
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