Police could have just called me, I would have gone to station, says PAS lawmaker

PAS lawmaker Khalid Samad (left) said it was unnecessary for the police to arrest him early today. He said he would go to the police station if they had called. – The Malaysian Insider filepic, March 29, 2015.Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad today said police could have just called him instead of wasting its resources arresting him in the wee hours of Sunday.

The PAS lawmaker said 10 policemen came to his house at 3.20am to arrest him.

“I think it was an unwise action, a waste of manpower and time. If they called me and I did not go, then their action is justified.

“Everyone knows my phone number, including the police,” he told The Malaysian Insider after his release today.

Khalid said he was sleeping when the police showed up.

“I was sleeping at that time… uniformed and plainclothes policemen came to my house… at least 10.”

Khalid said the police had arrived at about 2am and waited.

“They waited quite long, but they didn’t make any noise whatsoever, for that I am thankful,” he said.

Khalid was detained over his involvement in yesterday’s #KitaLawan rally.

He had led a group of protesters in the rally yesterday from the PAS headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut, Kuala Lumpur.

Earlier this afternoon, Khalid was released together with two undergraduate students after the court denied a police request to hold them under remand for further investigation.

Khalid said police did not ask him anything or take his statement.

Commenting on Inspector-General of Police’s (IGP) statement today that police would take action any time and would arrest those who were trying to instigate, Khalid said he was not arrested under the Sedition Act but Section 143 of the Penal Code for illegal assembly.

“I was not arrested under the Sedition Act, it was for illegal assembly. It is good for police to take action every second, every time, but don’t act beyond what is necessary, we are not criminals, robbers or killers.

“Just call and we will come. I believe many others will do the same.”

On the possibility of future arrests of other opposition leaders and activists, Khalid said, “It seems like the IGP has an anti-opposition attitude… considering those who are said to cause problems are from the opposition.”

“He doesn’t care about 1MDB, or misconduct, corruption and others. He just wants to look after the interest of Barisan Nasional. It seems like that,” he said.

- TMI