THE families and supporters of the dozen detainees accused of sympathising with defunct Sri Lankan separatists, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they were facing police intimidation. 

They said they had received calls from the police demanding that they refrain from holding gatherings and vigils in support of the detainees. They said they were also forbidden from posting on social medial anything related to the case.

K. Jayasutha, who is personal assistant to DAP assemblyman G. Saminathan, one of the detainees, said she received a phone call three weeks ago about her Facebook posts. 

“I posted on my FB that he (Saminathan) not a terrorist, and about the candlelight vigils. 

“This person told us not to post anything because he claimed the posts were going viral and asked that they be removed.

“They didn’t identify themselves but we suspect it is Special Branch,” she said, at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) office, today. 

Last month, a dozen men were arrested and detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 for suspected links to the LTTE.

They have since been charged in courts with supporting the group, a non-bailable offence. They are held in the Sg Buloh prison.

Seremban Jaya assemblyman P. Gunasekaran, of DAP, is among the 12 detainees.

Jayasutha said the caller also asked about the candlelight vigils at a temple in Malacca. 

“The person started questioning who was attending, who was the VIP and who were the organisers.

She said that she received the call once and about four other supporters also received similar calls.  

“They also said we shouldn’t invite people on FB to join the prayers. 

“They hinted that if we did that, we would be in trouble.”

The relatives of 11 detainees today visited Suhakam to hand over a memorandum supported by Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram). 

Suaram executive director Sevan Dorasamy said such things should not be happening in Malaysia Baru. 

Suhakam commissioner Jerald Joseph said the matter would be investigated.

Saminathan’s wife V. Uhma Devi claimed that she had received three phone calls about 11pm during the the time she and the other wives of the detainees held a hunger strike outside the Bukit Aman headquarters.

“In the first phone call, a person who identified himself as a senior officer, told me that my fellow protesters and I were being watched.

“Ten minutes later, I received another call asking if I wanted my husband released immediately and that I must ‘belanja’ him ‘makan’ (treat him to a meal).”

Uhma said that she responded by saying that she did not understand what that meant.

“He asked why I couldn’t understand simple language. 

“I suspect that when he said ‘belanja makan’ he was soliciting bribe.

“The officer asked if I had made up my mind and I told him that if he comes in front of me and told the same thing, I just might be able to do something about it and the person hung up.”

She also claimed to have received calls at home in Malacca asking her why so many people were visiting her house. 

“They asked if I was having any gatherings. I just told them that people and family members came to visit.” – November 25, 2019.