BERSATU president Muhyiddin Yassin has vouched for ally DAP, saying the party should not be attacked over the arrest and charging of two of its assemblymen for alleged links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Muhyiddin, who is also home minister, said the allegations were only against the individuals arrested and should not tarnish the whole party.

“There is no link to DAP. It so happens those two individuals are under suspicion of having committed offences. It is not right to accuse the whole party. Just leave those individuals concerned to the law and the police.

“This has already been made clear to the Pakatan Harapan leadership, so don’t misunderstand,” Muhyiddin told reporters in Tanjung Piai, Johor today, after attending the filing of nominations for the seat’s by-election.

His remarks follow a statement by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng last night that the party was “deeply unhappy” with the arrests of two of its assemblymen and three other party members.

The two assemblymen are Gadek’s G. Saminathan and Seremban Jaya’s P. Gunasekaran.

Lim said the arrests were made on “unsubstantiated grounds” and also questioned why other politicians from the opposition, who had supported the LTTE while they were in power under the previous government, or who had attended training and a congress of a communist party, had not been arrested.

Lim also said DAP was against the use of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 on those arrested and charged, as the act was draconian in allowing 28 days of detention without trial.

Today, another DAP parliamentarian said he would raise in Parliament the claims of alleged torture and forced confessions by some of those charged while in custody.

Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong said he would highlight the issue in the Dewan Rakyat next week to give the government an open platform to explain the situation.

Khoo said the explanation must be public as the integrity of the police is at stake.

The statements of alleged abuse in custody were made by two of those charged, B. Subramaniam, 57, and scrap-metal dealer A. Kalaimughilan, 28,  in-camera to Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi yesterday.

Muhyiddin said the Home Ministry would investigate the claims.  – November 2, 2019.