Mat Sabu detained at Penang police HQ

PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu was brought to the Police Contingent Headquarters in Penang to pick up a summons for challenging the official accounts of the Bukit Kepong incident.

Penang police chief Ayub Yaacob said the police had issued a warrant of arrest for Mohammad, better known as Mat Sabu, and he was brought in at 8.30pm tonight after he had arrived at the Penang International Airport.

Mat Sabu was detained briefly and granted bail after the police took his statement.

Ayub said Mat Sabu (left) will be charged as there had been more than 1,000 reports lodged against him following his controversial speech in a ceramah in Tasek Gelugor on Aug 21.

"The reports had been lodged by descendants of police who were upset with Mat Sabu's statement," he told a press conference here.
"I urge everyone to remain calm so that the due process of law can be taken," he added.

Mohamad faces a charge under Section 505 of the Penal Code for making a statement liable to lead to public mischief.

According to his lawyer Hanipa Maidin, he also faces an alternative charge under Section 500 for criminal defamation.

Two years in jail

Earlier, Hanipa told Malaysiakini that the PAS leader has to be present at the Butterworth Sessions Court at 9am tomorrow.

If convicted, Mat Sabu could face up to two years in jail, a fine, or both.

Hanipa said his client is innocent and that the authorities would be charging the wrong person.

"They should be charging Utusan Malaysia," he said when contacted.

On Aug 27, Utusan had published several reports alleging that Mat Sabu had praised communists who had attacked the Bukit Kepong police station in 1950, leaving 26 people dead.

Mat Sabu had allegedly made the following remarks: "...Bukit Kepong, the police there were British police, the ones who attacked Bukit Kepong were government officials, the leader was Mat Indera (Mohammed Indera), a Malay.

"But history has been covered up. Jins Samsuddin, who made the (Bukit Kepong) film, ...is an Umno (member). His story of Bukit Kepong (said that) those who attacked the police station were criminals..."

The reports further alleged that the PAS deputy president had treated Mat Indera (right)as a freedom fighter.

Mat Sabu has since claimed that Utusan had grossly distorted his words and has filed a defamation suit against the Umno-owned daily.

The speech also sparked debate between BN and the opposition on the country's independence history and whether it was ever colonised.