Lawyer to sue cops, govt after rally on ‘illegal’ temples blocked

 Haniff Khatri Abdulla also lodges police report over the wrongful arrest and detention of 20 people, including himself, on Feb 7.

Lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla said ‘false narratives’ by certain people that the rally would disrupt the peace led to police reports and were later cited as reasons to block the proposed Feb 7 rally.

KUALA LUMPUR:

 A lawyer said he would sue the police and the government after a planned rally to protest the “illegal” construction of houses of worship earlier this month was blocked by the authorities.

Haniff Khatri Abdulla said he would also name Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as defendants for allegedly making baseless accusations.

Earlier, Haniff lodged a police report over the wrongful arrest and detention of 20 people, including himself, prior to the planned rally on Feb 7 on behalf of Gerakan Anti Rumah Anutan Haram (or Garah), an NGO.

He also claimed that the planned rally had been wrongfully blocked.

Haniff also claimed abuse of power and government interference.

He went on to allege that the likes of DAP’s RSN Rayer and the youth wing of the Malaysian Indian People’s Party had propagated “false narratives” that the rally would disrupt the peace, which led to police reports and were later cited as reasons to block the rally.

“Based on these reasons, I am filing a civil suit against the police and government as well as those who propagated false narratives,” he told reporters after lodging a report at the Dang Wangi police station.

Kuala Lumpur police had, on the morning of Feb 7, blocked the rally planned in the evening near the Sogo shopping complex, citing public safety concerns.

City police chief Fadil Marsus said they conducted security assessments and gathered feedback from relevant parties after receiving a notification letter from the organisers on Feb 3.

The rally, organised by a coalition of societies led by Muslim preacher Zamri Vinoth, was intended to pressure authorities into action against so-called “illegal” houses of worship.

Police reports were lodged against the rally, urging the police and the government to prevent the protest from going ahead.

Zamri was subsequently arrested, along with Haniff and Bersatu’s Hulu Langat division information chief Shafiq Abdul Halim, Hishamuddin Abu Bakar of the Ummah NGO, Iskandar Khoo of Bersatu, Gulab Jan of the PPIM consumer body, and website owner Tamim Dahari Abd Razak. - FMT