Former Penang Suaram coordinator Lau Shu Shi was charged in court today for a ‘disorderly conduct in a police station’ under section 90 of the Police Act.

The 1967 Act states that ‘any person who, in a police station, behaves in a riotous, indecent, disorderly or insulting manner, shall be guilty of an offence under this Act’.

Lau, who is currently working with Awam, a women’s group in Kuala Lumpur, was charged after she allegedly failed to attend court at the end of May after police issued a warrant of arrest for her so-called ‘rude behaviour’.

Lau, 25, however, said she did not receive the warrant although investigating officer sergeant Yusof Harun had telephoned her about it.

‘At that time I was already in KL. He gave me a choice, whether to be arrested or attend court and of course I chose the latter but I did not hear from him after that,’ she told Malaysiakini.

‘I urge the police to stop abusing their power and harassing social activists and human rights defenders,’ she added.

Last night, Lau joined anti-ISA protestors for a vigil outside the Jelutong police station where three activists and a lawyer were held after they were arrested at Speakers Square.

She was having a drink with her friends at a nearby coffee shop when Yusof spotted her and later served her the warrant and told her to report to the station the following day.

Today, she was taken to the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court where she was held in a lockup for three hours before activist Ng Eng Kiat posted bail of RM500 for her release.

Video camera seized

Her case will be mentioned in court on Aug 16. Lau pleaded not guilty with lawyers Karen Lai and V Parthivan from the Penang Legal Aid Centre representing her.

The warrant of arrest for Lau issued in June stated that the incident happened in front of the information counter at the Jalan Pattani police station on May 11, 2008.

Lau was taken to the Jalan Pattani police station for participating in a rally organised by the rights group, Hindraf, at Gurney Plaza.

At the station, Lau had allegedly challenged the police in a rude manner with a loud tone. She had reportedly refused to stay calm and disrupted the work of the personnel stationed at the counter.

If found guilty, Lau faces a fine of RM500 maximum or imprisonment for six months or both.

Lau was leaving the police station when an officer allegedly raised his voice against her. When she told him to lower his voice and show respect, a shouting match ensued.

Lau was then taken in for questioning under Section 90 of the Police Act 1976. A fellow activist The Chun Hong, 25, was also detained for recording the incident and his video camera seized .