PSM 6's Saras 'forced to take lie detector test'

PSM deputy national chairperson M Sarasvathy, currently held under the Emergency Ordinance, was subjected to a lie detector test and then forced to sign a 62-page statement against her will, related her brother who visited her earlier this morning.

"She was hooked up to the polygraph machine with metal leads connected to her chest and stomach. She was unhappy with this," M Narayanasamy (left) told reporters at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today, relating what his sister told him.

He said that she later fell ill after the lie detector test was administered, complaining of chest pains. She was later sent to the hospital for treatment.

At the hospital, doctors then administered a stress test to Sarasvathy to ascertain her cardiac health.

They initially wanted to do it without her being handcuffed as this may interfere with the test, but cops insisted that she must remain handcuffed regardless.

After the hospital visit she was given medication. But after taking it, she felt very sick in her stomach.

It was then that police officers came to her and asked her to sign a statement.

She told them that she could not read nor understand the 62-page document in her current state and refused to sign.

Disregarding her plea, police continue to read the statement to her. Sarasvathy told her brother that under the effect of the medication and in pain, she was unable to understand what was read out.

'Signed against her will'

She was later forced to sign the document against her will.

She stated that she was signing the statement under protest but officers told her that she could not protest and her signature meant she agreed to the statement.

"We are worried about what is in the statement as she was unable to understand what was in the document. We will lodge a police report about this matter," said party secretary-general S Arutchelvan, who was also at the press conference.

The secretary-general also said that the party holds that lie detector tests are illegal since they are not admissible in court and cannot be used to try and elicit information from detainees.

He also challenged inspector-general of police Ismail Omar to come clean on the real reason why the six PSM activists were really held.

'Show us the footage'

“Now that the IGP seems fond of screening videos, I challenge him to screen footage of our 'Udah la tu, berundurlah' campaign. During the campaign I saw that police videotaped us.

“If they have footage of us, like the Al-Mau'nah who were collecting weapons, then please screen it,” sniped Arutchelvan.

Prior to that, he had screened a five-minute video of showing the activities of PSM activists on their nationwide campaign calling for the people to vote for change.

The video clip also showed the scene of how 30 activist including Sarasvathy and Sungai Siput parliamentarian Dr D Jeyakumar were arrested at the Sungai Dua toll plaza in Kepala Batas, Penang.

In the scene, the police officer who explained why they were being arrested said clearly that they were arrested under suspicion of trying to campaign for people to attend the Bersih 2.0 electoral reform rally.

Referring to the video, he said that they were very transparent of what the campaign was about and urged the IGP to furnish evidence of any wrongdoing that they had committed, if any.

“I think even the police don't know what to do now. Hence their flip-flop over the reason for the arrest. They arrest our comrades and now they are hard-pressed trying to justify it,” said Arutchelvan. - Malaysiakini