Revenge or not, police haul up Surendran for "attempted murder" accusation

In a move that smacks of intimidation and revengefulness, police hauled up PKR vice president N Surendran for rebuking them over a brutal attack that badly injured several politicians including Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, his bodyguard and Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad.

Surendran, who was also part of the group but escaped injury, had described the police aggression as "attempted murder", a term that apparently upset the police and prompted them to grill him for nearly an hour at the Jalan Travers station this afternoon.

"This is the standard tactic of our police force; investigate the complainant instead of the complaint. For years now, serious complaints of police misconduct are met with threats and intimidation by police and the Attorney-General's chambers," Surendran told Malaysia Chronicle.

"In the Kugan's case, I was falsely accused of barging into the mortuary and questioned by the police simply because I demanded justice for Kugan. The BN government has ruined the police force and made them unaccountable to the people."

Surendran said he stood by his statement irrespective of how many investigations police launched against him. They have already lodged a report against him in relation to an article in The Malaysian Insider.

"What I said earlier was that the circumstances in which the tear gas was fired into the underpass can cause great danger for those in the underpass and I asked for the matter to be categorised as attempted murder," said the PKR leader.

Police should be probing themselves

The 44-year-old human rights lawyer also slammed the police for picking on him rather than investigate the claims he made against them. Surendran had on July 20 accompanied Anwar's bodyguard Fayyahd Afiq Albakqry to lodge a complaint against the police aggression on July 9.

The group of Pakatan Rakyat leaders were making their way from KL Sentral to the Stadium Merdeka, when police surrounded them at an underpass. About a dozen teargas canisters were fired directly at them, prompting immediate fears of an asssassination attempt especially against Anwar, who is Prime Minister Najib Razak's arch rival.

In trying to shield Anwar, his bodyguard fractured his cheekbone, requiring 5 titanium plates to be inserted and reconstructive facial surgery to be carried out. Anwar hit his head on the pavement and had to be hospitalized, while Khalid Samad sustained a hit on the neck and was also badly injured.

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“I am disappointed that instead of investigating the wrongful acts of the police in firing the tear gas, instead they are investigating me now. The thrust of the questions seems not to be on investigating the incident at the KL Sentral underpass but more towards exonorating the police of blame,” said Surendran.

The police had also denied causing PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu to fall off his bike and sustain serious injury to his leg. They even went so far as to question why he was moving around in a wheelchair. However, latest video clips show the police had indeed triggered the accident in their haste to block Mat Sabu away from the Bersih supported congregating near the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur.

Revengeful

Surendran is being investigated under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for allegedly making statements that would jeopardise public order outside Dang Wangi police headquarters on July 20.

He has been anticipating the police might take 'revenge' after a senior cop told the national news agency Bernamathat criminal charges would be brought against those who made false complaints to the police.

"I refer to the press release by CID Deputy Director DCP Acryl Sani stating that criminal charges will be brought against persons who allegedly made false allegations of misconduct/brutality against police arising from the peaceful Bersih rally on 9.7.11. We view this statement as a mischievous and uncalled for threat against the public," Surendran had said in a statement issued late last night.

"It is the task of the police force to fairly and impartially investigate all public complaints of police misconduct. The issuance of such threats are calculated to instill fear into the puiblic and prevent them from airing grievances against the police department. No public service department maintained by tax-payers funds should conduct themselves in this manner or make such threats against the public. On the contrary, police should facilitate and encourage public complaints to ensure the integrity and proper functioning of the police force. The police force must never forget that their primary task is to serve and protect the public."

- Malaysia Chronicle