Cops screen videos to prove their 'hospitality'

The police today conceded the possibility that they may have fired water cannon into the back lane of the Tung Shin hospital and tear gas fumes may have entered into its compound.

But the move was mainly directed at the participants in the Bersih 2.0 rally and was done in accordance with police standard operating procedure, said federal public order and internal security chief Salleh Rashid.

"The matter is still under investigation. However, the police do not deny the possibility (that water cannon spray and tear gas may have entered the hospital premises)," Salleh told a press conference this afternoon.

When asked to comment that some doctors nationwide asserted that international convention demands that no shots be fired at hospitals, Salleh went on the defensive and said the matter was still under investigation but maintained they were aimed at the protesters.

Two separate police teams have been appointed to investigate the incident into the Tung Shin Hospital claim.

In defending the police, Salleh said in many instances, the police were provoked into arresting the demonstrators. and the people were given ample warning to disperse.

During the press conference, a series of videos were screened to journalists to prove that police had abided with proper procedures and showed their hospitality to the 1,600-plus people who were arrested on the day of the July 9 rally.

The videos showed those arrested being helped up the police vehicle, and that proper facilities including a place to pray, mobile toilets, and food were given at Pulapol, Cheras, where their statements were recorded.

There were no scenes of police roughing up those arrested as seen on the Internet.

No videoclips on Patriot

There was no clips on how members of Umno Youth's 'Patriot' rally to counter Bersih 2.0 were treated by police that day.

There were many authority-friendly representatives at the press conference including Pekida and Just World president Chandra Muzaffar, bumiputera taxi operators, and Chinese Chamber of Commerce representatives.

Quizzed over various videoclips depicting police roughing up protesters where some of them were seen punching the demonstrators, Salleh implored that those who have video evidence to come forward.

He promised action would be taken on the police if there was sufficient proof.

"At present, there is only one police report of police allegedly committing violence and it is the one by (PAS deputy president) Mat Sabu," he said.

Mat Sabu, revealed Salleh could see action taken against him for allegedly lodging a false report. The politician claimed his motorcycle was struck by a police vehicle, while CCTV evidence seemed to suggest otherwise.

The videos which were shown to the press, included police videos, CCTV recordings and also those obtained from Malaysiakini.

All of it seemed carefully edited to show the police followed procedures in curbing what they repeatedly called an illegal demonstration which comprised of "not more than" 10,000 protesters.

Earlier Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar had earlier claimed the number of protesters was 6,000.

Bersih 2.0 organisers claimed there were more than 10,000 perhaps as many as 50,000.

Salleh said he was on a helicopter watching from above and did some recordings of the event.

He said personnel from the Federal Reserve Unit, Light Strike Force, and the Public Order Riot Unit were deployed to counter the rally.

The clips shown were mainly from KL Sentral, Maybank/Puduraya, Tung Shin and the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC).

The KLCC clip was mainly to show what had happened to the only fatality in the protest - 58-year-old Baharudin Ahmad.

Provocated by demonstrators

Salleh maintained that in most instances, the police were provoked into taking action and that proper warnings were give to the demonstrators to disperse.

Using the demo at Puduraya as an example, Salleh said nine warnings were given.

"However, they did not and in fact they dug in. In fact, some are seen provoking the police," he said while showing videoclips.

There was one clip in which a man said to be Shuhardi Md Isa, was seen exhorting a group of protesters that "if police did not come, then we have failed, if police did not come, we fail."

It showed other clips of Shuhardi leading a prayer in the middle of the road and also with lawmakers Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah and Beruas MP, Ngeh Koo Ham, approaching the police to negotiate at Pudu.

Using Batu MP Tian Chua's charging forward to the police line at KL Sentral as another example, Salleh said that it was the lawmaker who had provoked the police, who responded according to standard operating procedures.

He also showed a video which showed police aiding Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, by giving her an oxygen mask after tear gas had been fired.

Salleh denied that the tear gas was fired at the enclosed area in KL Sentral area, and screened video footage showing they were fired from outside.

At KL Sentral, tear gas was fired and with claims that some shells were aimed at opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

A canister hit Anwar's bodyguard Fayyadh Afiq Albakqry (left), resulting in the aide suffering a fracture to his cheek.

Salleh denied allegations by Anwar and Fayyahd that they fired the tear gas shells to kill them.

"They are welcome to lodge a police report and we will investigate," he emphasised.

Chandra in commenting after the press conference said the Human Rights Commission can investigate allegations of abuse.

The former Parti Keadilan Nasional deputy president said the party always supported street protests.

"That has been the nature of the party which I have led since the late 1990's till now," he said, adding from what he saw there were many instances of provocation by the crowd. - Malaysiakini