8 arrested, including Tian Chua, Hishamuddin Rais and Datuk Armand Azha Abu Hanifah
VARIOUS OFFENCES: Action will be taken against those who brought children, say police
POLICE arrested eight men for various offences during and immediately after the Bersih 5 and Red Shirts rallies yesterday.
Police said they had received 28 reports on various offences and added that some had brought children, an offence under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA).
City police chief Datuk Amar Singh said the men who were arrested during the rallies included activist Hishamuddin Rais, Pasir Pinji assemblyman Howard Lee and Red Shirts’ prominent figure Datuk Armand Azha Abu Hanifah. Activist Fahmi Reza was nabbed after the Bersih 5 rally ended.
He said of the three others, the first to be arrested was a 49-year-old, who was found to have been using a drone.
Amar said this was an offence under Section 143 of the Civil Aviation Act 1969, which stipulates that the use of an unmanned aircraft or drone in areas where people are gathered requires the approval of the authorities.
“Police also arrested a 33-year-old man for possession of scheduled weapons. The case is being investigated under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958.
“The weapons seized were a parang and a knuckleduster.” A shaking a yesterday. Pic by Shahril Badri Saali
Another 33-year-old man was detained under Section 323 of the Penal Code for causing hurt.
Amar said the number of people who attended the Bersih 5 rally was estimated to be 15,500, while about 2,500 Red Shirts supporters took part in the group’s counter-rally.
He said apart from the 28 police reports received, police would take action against those who had brought children, an offence under Section 4(2)(f ) of the PAA.
Amar said the Dang Wangi police chief lodged a report against rallygoers for rioting and disrupting public order.
The arrests of the four prominent Bersih and Red Shirts figures bring
at the Masjid Jamek LRT station
the number of such leaders detained since Friday to 19.
Among them were Bersih 2.0 chairman and secretary Maria Chin Abdullah and Mandeep Singh; DAP’s Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew, Wong Chee Wai @ Jimmy Wong and Lee Khai Ming; Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s S. Arutchelvan; activists Muhamad Luqman Nul Hakim Zul Razali and Anis Syafiqah Mohd Yusof; and, Red Shirts leader Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos, vice-president Major Razali Zakaria and Ariffin Abu Bakar, who is also a leading member of the Black Shirts movement, who is better known as Ayah Ipin Keramat. PKR vice-president Tian Chua was arrested
later last night.
Earlier yesterday, police obtained a four-day remand order to detain Jamal over a fracas which occurred in Ampang Point here last Sunday.
They also obtained similar orders against Ariffin and another Red Shirts supporter, Abdul Razak.
The orders were granted by the Ampang magistrate’s court.
The case is being investigated under sections 147, 186 and 353 of the Penal Code rioting, obstructing a public servant in the discharge of his public functions and using criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty, respectively.
Red Shirts legal adviser Datuk Mohd
yesterday. Imran Tamrin said Jamal was nabbed by the police at 1.30am yesterday and taken to the Selangor police headquarters in Shah Alam, Selangor.
“Jamal was in good health after being arrested and he has been giving his full cooperation to the police,” he said at the court house here.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar congratulated his men for successfully maintaining peace and order during the rallies yesterday.
“Police showed patience and professionalism, which is highly commendable, in carrying out their duties today (yesterday),” he tweeted.
It was reported that about 7,000 policemen were deployed to maintain peace and order in various parts of the federal capital here.