Police, ROS at Suaram office for 'inspection'

Six police personnel and officers from the Registrar of Societies (ROS) arrived at the office of human rights NGO Suaram about 11.40am,on a suspected "raid" of the premises. 

"The staff were told that the police and ROS officers are here for an inspection, but the staff did not allow them to enter until the directors and lawyers arrived," Suaram's lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri said, when contacted. 

She said the authorities did not inform the staff what they were looking for. 

"I believe they are here for a raid," she said.

Fadiah, who arrived at the office in Petaling Jaya about noon, said the police and officers were then waiting outside the premises, as the Suaram directors had yet to arrive.

'Not a raid'

However, one of the ROS officers later said it was not a raid but they were there to hand over a form titled ‘Report to conduct inspection of an organisation'.

Among other things, the form required the NGO to give information on its activities.

However Suaram's stand is that it is a company under the Companies Commission Malaysia (CCM).

"Please be informed that our organisation is a limited company Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd. We have already been inspected by the CCM on July 3," said the company's executive director E Nalini (right).

Nalini said she did not fill up the form, and merely signed it at the back, as the executive director of Suara Inisiatif.

The officers left the premises at about 12.30pm after some discussion with one of the company's lawyers, Latheefa Koya.