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Tuesday, October 15, 2019

PM's defence of Sosma arrests hard to swallow, rues Ramasamy


For Pakatan Harapan leaders, who have been critical of the police using legislation which the coalition pledged to repeal to detain those accused of having links with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's defence of the dragnet is a bitter pill to swallow.
“I find this statement difficult to accept coming from the prime minister,” Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy told Malaysiakini this evening.
“I am taken aback. In the last general election, Harapan fought tooth and nail against BN based on our manifesto which, among others, promised the removal of draconian laws,” he added.

Ramasamy said he was not questioning the police's investigation into the matter but pointed out that the arrests could have been carried out under the Penal Code.
“I am sure the suspects could be arrested under the Penal Code. The police claim to have sufficient evidence. So prosecute the suspects in court and allow them access to legal representation.
“Using the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) could be perceived as an easy way out for the police,” he added.
Reiterating his disappointment with the prime minister's stand, Ramasamy rued: “This is not Harapan. Things are not looking good for us after more than a year in power.”
The DAP leader also reminded Mahathir of his criticism of Sosma, which allowed the police to detain suspects for a period of 28 days without trial, when former Umno division leader Khairuddin Abu Hassan (photo, right) and lawyer Matthias Chang (photo, left) were arrested under the law in 2015.
“Mahathir himself said he wanted to repeal Sosma then,” he added.
Khairuddin is a staunch supporter of Mahathir whereas Chang was his former aide during his first tenure as prime minister.
The two were detained on allegations of economic sabotage after lodging a series of reports on the 1MDB scandal.
Earlier today, Mahathir said the police had no choice but to use Sosma in the LTTE-related crackdown because of the absence of other laws.
The premier also said he was satisfied with the police's action after being briefed on the operation.
Since last week, the Bukit Aman counter-terrorism division has arrested 12 individuals, including DAP assemblypersons G Saminathan and P Gunasekaran.
Those detained were accused of attempting to revive the defunct organisation which was decimated in 2009, bringing an end to the protracted civil war in Sri Lanka.
According to the police, one of the suspects, an insurance agent, wanted to allegedly carry out an attack on the Sri Lankan High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Bar also urged the police to charge the suspects in court if there is enough evidence and not to detain them unnecessarily for the period of 28 days.
Referring to media reports, Malaysian Bar president Abdul Fareed Abdul Ghafoor (photo) noted how the police had carried out surveillance operations on the suspects prior to their arrests.
“Which means, the police are deemed to have some evidence of their involvement in activities detrimental to the security of the nation,” he added.
In a related development, Star Online reported that Saminathan, who is also a Malacca exco member, broke down when his colleagues visited him at Bukit Aman.
“He was in a sombre mood, and we have to thank the police for giving us this chance. Only his family was allowed to get close to him,” said Agriculture, Agro-based, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative committee chairperson Norhizam Hassan Baktee.
“He is our colleague; let the police investigate whether he is right or wrong. We were there to give him moral support,” he added. - Mkini

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