Pak Samad accuses police of lying to cover from backlash

Samad Said was arrested shortly after midnight, late Tuesday night, and questioned by the police for two hours. The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, September 5, 2013.National laureate Datuk A. Samad Said today accused the Inspector-General of Police of fabricating a story to justify his arrest past midnight on Wednesday.

“I was at home. I was not in hiding.

“I was at home all the time, though I did go for a walk at Bangsar and had tea at a mamak shop near my house," he told The Malaysian Insider.

Samad, more popularly known as Pak Samad, instead accused Khalid of fabricating a story to justify the police arresting him at his home in Bangsar at 12.40am on Wednesday.

In a press conference earlier today, IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said Samad had quietly sneaked back into his house after midnight, forcing police to take him into custody only then.

“He only came back at midnight, he came back quietly and we were waiting. So we took him in," Khalid told the media after attending a forum on crime at the Royale Chulan Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Khalid also said that police had asked Samad to surrender but he failed to do so.

"We already asked him to surrender but he did not. Why can't we (arrest at midnight)?" Khalid questioned.

Khalid said the police went to Samad's house in the evening but he was not around.

Samad, 78, said that when he was at home earlier in the day, no policeman came to his house.

"None. No one came to the house while I was at home,” he said.

The midnight arrest resulted in a backlash against the police with the public accusing them of being insensitive and having no respect for the elderly.

Samad was arrested for allegedly flying the Sang Saka Malaya flag on the eve of Merdeka celebrations at Dataran Merdeka.

After his arrest, he was taken to the Dang Wangi police headquarters where he had his statement recorded, then released two hours later.

Samad is being investigated under the Sedition Act.

Social activists, Hishamuddin Rais and Adam Adli, were also arrested for flying the Sang Saka Malaya flag. The video of them flying the flag went viral on YouTube.

Three non-governmental organisations (NGO), Ikatan Rakyat Insan Muslim Malaysia (IRIM), Pertubuhan Martabat Jalinan Muhibbah Malaysia (MJMM) and Gagasan Pendidikan Melayu Malaysia (Gagasan) had lodged separate reports on the incident.