Will You Believe Video Evidence Or Ministry Statement

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 On television three nights ago, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail appeared pensive, emphasising that current leaders were graduates of the “street school” (sekolah jalanan), referring to the time when they were involved in street protests against the government.
Dispelling the notion that there has been a change since taking power, he rolled out police statistics - only two to three percent of assemblies faced issues because the venue owners did not grant permission, not because of government-imposed restrictions.
But Saifuddin had more on his plate and mind involving two agencies under his purview - the Prison Department and the police (again), which was not addressed.
On Wednesday, Suhakam admonished the department for obstructing its statutory duty to investigate human rights abuses.
ADSIn a strongly worded statement, the commission said its officers were prevented from visiting Taiping Prison and a Batu Gajah Correctional Centre inmate as part of its investigation of alleged human rights violations on Jan 17.
Citing ongoing investigations, the department also cancelled a scheduled visit to Taiping Prison from Feb 12 to 14.
Suaram executive director Sevan DoraisamyAlso on the ministry’s radar was the “arrest” of Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy for allegedly entering the Home Ministry headquarters in Putrajaya without a pass.
After the storm had blown over on Wednesday, Putrajaya district police chief Aidi Sham Mohamed denied that Sevan was arrested but said his statement was recorded.
But Sevan told Malaysiakini: “Initially, the officer said they just wanted to take my statement but when I asked whether it could be done on another day, the officer said no.
“And when I asked if I was being arrested, he said yes and I was taken to the Putrajaya district police headquarters in a police vehicle.”
A video aired live by Suaram on social media during the incident appeared to back Sevan’s version of events. In it, a plainclothes officer is heard answering in the affirmative when Sevan asks if he is being arrested.
Clear proof
However, the ministry’s statement backing the police version of events denied any arrests against the group, which handed over a memorandum at its headquarters on Monday,
The statement warned members of the public from making “unnecessary speculation” and to comply with the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA).
But on Thursday, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) slammed the ministry for denying the arrest, releasing a video clip.
Police personnel outside Suaram’s officeLFL director Zaid Malek said the video outside Suaram’s office clearly showed police officers demanding that Sevan follow them to the Putrajaya police headquarters to give his statement.
ADSZaid said arresting Sevan just to record his statement was a high-handed, unlawful, and blatant abuse of police powers. He added that this contravened the laws prohibiting the arrest of a person to compel them to give a statement.
Why deny?
Why were the police and ministry in denial when the video clip shows otherwise? Will they now claim the clip was “doctored”?
What is appalling, inexcusable, and unforgivable is that the police have not been generous with the truth.
Ditto for the ministry, which aggravated the situation, issuing a threat to the public while discussing the arrest of the activist.
Various versions of the clip are circulating, and KiniTV’s clip has already garnered 18,000 views on YouTube as of Friday morning.
Inspector-General of Police Razarudin HusainThis is a typical case of someone trying to hide a whole pumpkin in a plate of rice.
However, it is not the first time the ministry got its knickers in a twist. There were minor issues, but there was a furore when the Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain could conduct searches of one’s mobile phones.
After the legality of such police action in arresting an individual and inspecting his or her mobile phone was raised, Razarudin backtracked, saying that only officers with the rank of inspector or higher are permitted to conduct such checks.
Face slap
For the ministry, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ordering the return of the Swatch watches seized under the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984 was a kind of slap in the face, forcing its retreat with its tail between its legs.
Even before the hearing, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the seizure was an “overreaction,” but Saifuddin was defiant in defending the enforcement actions, citing public complaints.
After the ruling, I wrote: “The High Court ruling exposed weaknesses in the system and re-ignited talk about a deep state operating within it.
Swatch Pride watches“What other explanation can officialdom provide for their severe lapses in the seizure, having put the cart before the horse?
“Why were they so defiant that they seized the watches without a prohibition notification as required by the law?”
What happens now?
What now, Mr Minister? How could you threaten to use the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission regulations on issues people want to discuss? Has the threat worked?
Such empty threats did not scare people. On the contrary, it encouraged and emboldened them because the Constitution allows them to express their views. Judging by their comments on social media platforms, the image of the ministry and the police are in tatters.
The prison death and the arrest of the activist have overshadowed what was supposed to be a people-pleasing announcement - the proposed easing of restrictions on public protests.
Don’t government officials read and understand what is in the statute books, or are they deliberately playing dumb to crystalise hopes of the Madani government not completing its full term?
Do they need a crash course to read, digest, understand, and interpret accordingly, or are they just competent enough to bark orders to officers below without knowing the consequences? Or expecting them to shoulder the blame when the shit hits the fan? - Mkini
R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who writes on bread-and-butter issues. Comments: [email protected]
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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