Bakri MP Er Teck Hwa, 5 others arrested

DAP's Bakri MP Er Teck Hwa, Johor DAP Youth leader Tan Hong Pin and four others were arrested and have been brought to Taman Pelangi police station, Johor, in another episode of police action against any hint of 'Bersih' activity.

When contacted, however, Er denied their presence and actions in the Taman Pelangi market this morning had anything to do with the Bersih 2.0 rally planned for July 9.

Er said he and Tan were only carrying out a 'gotong royong' cleanliness campaign with the theme "Negara Bersih, Rakyat bertuah" ('A clean nation, a fortunate people').

"I think the police are (being) too sensitive. Our theme is Negara Bersih, Rakyat Bertuah, but they didn't accept the explanation,” said the DAP leader.

It didn't help that the yellow shirts they were wearing were designed differently from the Bersih T-shirts that had landed more than 100 political and social activists under arrest the past week nation-wide.

"We also mentioned that the campaign is not related to Bersih gathering in Kuala Lumpur on 9 July," said Er, but the 20 police officers who arrived at the market soon after they got wind of the group's activity were not convinced.

The others arrested were Johor DAP's youth vice-chief Jason Josob, state committee member Chen Kah Eng, Taman Bukit Indah branch secretary Yan Boon Meng, and political education assistant-director Tang Chee Kia.

[More to follow]