Cops overpaid for Bersih detainee meals, says Chegubard

By Yow Hong Chieh

July 15, 2011

Police arrested nearly 1,700 people during Saturday’s Bersih rally. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 — PKR Rembau chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin today urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to look into police procurement of meals for Bersih detainees, claiming the fare was not worth RM25 per person.

He pointed out that the simple meal served by police to protesters in Pulapol last Saturday should not have cost that much as it only consisted of rice, fried chicken, vegetables, sambal and a drink.

“Ask any food supplier the cost of that menu for over 1,000 people at a buffet. Most will say (it costs) RM6 per person while others will even go as low as RM4 if payment is simplified.

“PDRM (Royal Malaysia Police) forked out RM25 (per person). Where did the other RM20 go?” he wrote on his blog today.

Badrul Hisham, better known as Chegubard, alleged that such “corrupt” practices have long gone on in lock-up where no one checks the food allocation budget or quality of meals provided.

He added that the RM25 price tag would make sense only if the police detained more than 3,500 protesters at the rally, more than double the nearly 1,700 arrests reported.

“Now PDRM must answer if they arrested more than was declared or if there is ‘corruption’ involved in buy food for detainees with the people’s money,” he said.

Acting Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Amar Singh Ishar Singh said on Sunday that the police spent a total of RM42,425 providing food for 1,697 detainees during last weekend’s rally for free elections.

He said the police not only supplied meals — which he said was as good as wedding food — but provided space for prayer and medical treatment to those who spent time in lock-up.

Amar further claimed that Bersih detainees were treated better on Saturday than policeman themselves, some of whom only managed to eat after the police action ended.