Arrest of PPS members not political

Penang CPO Abdul Rahim Hanafi says arrests were carried out purely on legal grounds.

GEORGE TOWN: Penang CPO Abdul Rahim Hanafi said there was nothing political in the arrests of members of the Penang Voluntary Patrol Unit (PPS) and that the arrests were carried out purely on legal grounds.

“This action on PPS is purely on legal grounds. It’s nothing to do with politics,” stressed Abdul Rahim.

He also denied that the state government submitted to police a full list of PPS recruits for vetting.

Previously state executive councillor and Sungai Puyu assemblyman Phee Boon Boh, who heads PPS, claimed PPS personnel were always vetted by police before being recruited.

“I don’t know which police they gave the list to. I never received any list for vetting for PPS recruitment. Police never vetted any PPS list,” Abdul Rahim told newsmen at the Northeast district police headquarters.

Also present was Northeast OCPD Assistant Commissioner Mior Faridalatrash Wahid.

He revealed that four of the 156 PPS leaders and members, aged between 18 and 67, including Phee, detained since yesterday had tested positive for drugs.

On a claim by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng that the four were using medicine for their illness, he gave assurances that the police would act accordingly based on chemist reports after the drug test.

It is learnt that the drug suspects, aged 26 and 64, tested positive for methamphetamine-type drugs and were being investigated under Section 15 (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act.

The police have already released 21 of those detained yesterday, including seven women and men above age 60, on police bail.

Other detainees are expected to be released on police bail tomorrow as the police had only managed to obtain a one-day remand order this morning.

The state government meanwhile has announced that the PPS would suspend all its activities until further notice.

Police checks revealed 11 detained PPS suspects were found to have previous criminal records for attempted theft, robbery and drug abuse, and detention under the now repealed Emergency Ordinance.

PPS was being investigated under Sections 41 & 43 of the Societies Act 1966 for allegedly being an unlawful organisation.

The Registrar of Societies (ROS), the Inspector General of Police and Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar have all declared PPS an illegal outfit, while Chief Minister Lim has insisted it was a legal body formed under state government powers.

Abdul Rahim said the police swoop on PPS would be on-going until all its nearly 10,000 personnel were detained and investigated.

He said currently police have on record the details of only 30% of the PPS members.