Jamal, seven others held over smashing of beer bottles

SHAH ALAM: The police arrested Red Movement NGO Coalition Malaysia chairman Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos and seven other men early yesterday in connection with the smashing of beer bottles in front of the Selangor State Secretariat building here yesterday.

They were detained at about 1.45 am in Sekinchan, Sabak Bernam, for unlawful assembly and smashing about 100 bottles of liquor at the main entrance of the building, Selangor Criminal Investigation Department chief SAC Fadzil Ahmat said in a statement.

The Shah Alam magistrates’ court later issued an order to remand all the eight men for three days from yesterday to assist in the investigation into the case under Section 143 of the Penal Code for participating in an unlawful assembly and under Section 268 of the same code for being a public nuisance.

Their counsel Khairul Anuar Kashim said to reporters that the seven other men were Jamal’s drivers and bodyguards and that all of them had cooperated with the police when they were arrested at a restaurant in Sekinchan.

Fadzil had said in the statement that following the smashing of the beer bottles outside the State Secretariat building, a security guard lodged a complaint with the Shah Alam district police headquarters.

At about 10am on Thursday, Jamal and the coalition members brought 10 cartons containing 100 bottles of beer to the building to protest against attempts to hold a beer festival in Selangor.

Jamal then used a large hammer to smash the beer bottles at the main entrance of the building.

He is reported to have resorted to that action after Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali reportedly said that the German food and beverage festival scheduled to take place at a supermarket in Klang next week could only be approved if the organisers fulfilled the terms and conditions, including those outlined by the Klang Municipal Council ( MPK).

Last Monday, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said police were firm in their decision to disallow the event after having received information of a possible sabotage by militants and had advised MPK to deny the permit.

MPK president Datuk Mohamad Yasid Bidin said he had not given the permit as the organisers had failed to comply with the stipulated terms and conditions, including obtaining prior approval from the police. — Bernama