Rasah PKR leader arrested

The man was detained at midnight in a high-handed manner, says PKR vice-president N Surendran.

UPDATED

PETALING JAYA: A Rasah PKR deputy divisional leader was arrested at midnight for what is believed to be an offence related to the Bersih 3.0 rally.

R Thanggam, 50, a businessman, was among the 100,000 people who attended the Bersih 3.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

PKR vice-president N Surendran (picture left) confirmed this.

“The police sent many officers to Thanggam’s house in Seremban and arrested him at midnight in a high-handed manner,” Surendran said.

He added that Thanggam, married with six children, was not told of the offence that he had allegedly committed and under what law he was detained.

“He was brought to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters in the middle of the night.

“I heard he was transferred to Jinjang district police headquarters this morning and the police would obtain a remand order,” Surendran said when contacted this morning.

Surendran, who is also lawyer, criticised the arrest, saying it was “a propaganda” move.

“It’s a propaganda to make the political opposition look like the aggressors.

“There is clear evidence of police beating up the public and we don’t hear them [the police] being arrested,” he said.

He added that a legal aid team has been sent to assist Thanggam.

Meanwhile, a magistrate’s court has allowed the police to further remand Thanggam for three days.

Surendran, who is also Thanggam’s lawyer, said that magistrate Aznil Mustapha allowed the remand order under section 440 of the Penal Code.

The section deals with penalty for mischief in preparation to cause death or hurt.

Surendran said the remand order was wrong.

“We’ll challenge the order,” he added.