Police abuse: Businessman still living in fear

Chia Buang Hing comes to the brink of tears, recalling warnings from friends that police may slap a drug charge against him. The businessman who accused police officers of assaulting him last December wants the drug and dangerous weapon allegations made against him dropped once and for all. Chia Buang Hing, 34, a picture frame maker from Taman Tun Dr Ismail, said he and his family have been living in fear since he was assaulted by several policemen on Dec 18, when he refused to bribe them. "If there really was a parang in my car, they could have charged me for possession of a dangerous weapon," he told a press conference in Petaling Jaya this afternoon. NONEMaking an impassioned plea as he read from a text, Chia came to the brink of tears several times, saying many friends have warned him and his family that the police would take steps to put him in jail for their allegation that drugs and a parang were found in his car. "We have been living in fear since," said Chia who was also accompanied by his family members, lawyers and Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng, who acted as his interpreter. On Dec 18, Chia was driving from his house in Tropicana to Kota Damansara when he was stopped at a police roadblock about 11pm. According to the businessman, when the policemen on duty found his car road tax to have expired, they had demanded money from him, and then beat him up for refusing. The police also hauled him to the Kota Damansara police station, where they reportedly continued to assault him for three more days before releasing him on police bail on Dec 22 - but not before "robbing" him of RM13,000. On Tuesday, five police personnel were charged in a magistrate's court in Petaling Jaya for voluntarily causing hurt to Chia. Possible defamation suit Chia also said that he was considering a defamation suit against the police. NONEIn a media statement several days after the assault was reported, Selangor police chief Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah said Chia was arrested under suspicion of being in possession of a machete, heroin and driving a car without a valid road tax. "If there really was a parang in my car, it should be a straightforward case for them," Chia said, adding that his car was still being kept by the police to this day. He reiterated that he would be filing a civil suit against the police and the government over the assault. Apart from demanding that the police return the RM13,000 taken from him, Chia would also be seeking unspecified general and exemplary damages. "After my case was publicised, I received several calls from strangers, telling me of similar ordeals they suffered. One girl said she had been arrested and was solicited for sex by a policeman. "This is why we desperately need the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission," he added. - Malaysiakini