Arrest a form of police intimidation against dissenters, says C4 activist

Noel Achariam Noel Achariam Updated 5 years ago · Published on 22 Jul 2020 6:53PM · 5 Comments

Activist K. Sudhagaran Stanley says the police are threatening the people's right to speak out against wrongdoing in the country. – Facebook pic, July 22, 2020.

ANTI-GRAFT activist K. Sudhagaran Stanley, who was released by police last night, said his arrest is a form of intimidation to silence those who speak out on wrongdoings in the country.

He told The Malaysian Insight that he was arrested over a Facebook post on April 2 that questioned the authorities on arrests made during the movement control order, and not over a post about the defacing of murals of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in Shah Alam.

Sudhagaran said his arrest was meant to be a message for dissenting voices. 

“I feel that this is intimidation, not only towards me, but in the past weeks or months against activists, those who have been called up for making statements.

“They are threatening our right to speak out on what’s not right in this country,” he said. 

On Monday, Sudhagaran, who is the Penang coordinator for the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4), was arrested at 10pm at his home and taken to the Timur Laut district police headquarters.

He said the following day, officers from Bukit Aman came to Penang and took his statement. 

“They (police) went to apply for a remand at the courts, but the registrar rejected it after learning what had transpired.

“So, I was released on police bail after 6pm yesterday.”

In his April 2 titled “Are we turning into a police state during the MCO period?”, Sudhagaran had questioned the arrest of 24 seminarians playing football in their seminary field in Penang on March 31, when the MCO was in force.

“The arrest of these 24 seminarians on private grounds is unnecessary and uncalled for. 

“The police seem to be overreacting and victimising individuals by arresting and charging them to create fear and panic among Malaysians,” he had posted. 

Sudhagaran’s lawyer said that he is being investigated under Section 4 (1) of the Sedition Act, Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.

Sudhagaran, meanwhile, expressed disbelief at the fact that simply questioning police action can leave one liable to investigation under the Sedition Act.

“If they are going to use that as sedition, then I have no clue what they are trying to do… I believe they are trying to send us a message with this intimidation and trying to scare us.”

Malaysiakini, meanwhile, reported Bukit Aman CID deputy director Mior Faridalathrash Wahid as saying that investigations into Sudhagaran’s post began a while back but due to the Covid-19 restrictions, police were only proceeding with the probe now.

Other activists have decried the way Sudhagaran was arrested at his home, saying police could have called him in to give his statement instead. – July 22, 2020.

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Comments

  • American police made mistakes. Malaysian police don't ? Of course they do. Mistake or not am sure the police mostly act within the law most of the time. When do the police step out of the law? You and I know there are interrogations during remands. These interrogations lead to a lot of findings s.a murder cases. Don't ever step on the police toes if you want to sleep peacefully at home. Don't be an activist or M Gandhi if you're not even prepared to be remanded.

    Posted 5 years ago by Zainuddin Yusoff · Reply

  • The police have yet to bring Indira Gandhi's daughter to her, despite earlier promises of a 'happy ending' by the IGP, indicating that the PDRM knew where she was.
    The police are either ignorant of the law, or have chosen to thumb their noses at the Judiciary, and ignore specific Judicial instructions.
    That is the true state of the PDRM today.
    Mostly act within the law? We wonder.

    Posted 5 years ago by Arul Inthirarajah · Reply

  • We heard police raped women, extort, corrupt all the time. Does that that mean PDRM is not keeping law and order ?

    Posted 5 years ago by Zainuddin Yusoff · Reply

  • Looks like the Police has nothing else better to do and/or bring us as an instrument to harass those who spoke up against abuse of power and injustices as well as those who criticised the backdoor government

    Posted 5 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

  • The obscure of this complaint is whether the police or the government is under fire. Clearly, we always praise the police when the executive system is independent and praise not when they collude with the legislative.

    Posted 5 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply