See you in court on PPS, Guan Eng tells IGP
The Penang government is prepared to go to court to prove the legality of the voluntary patrol unit (PPS) where 154 of them were detained by police after participating in the Merdeka parade this morning.
The Penang government is prepared to go to court to prove the legality of the voluntary patrol unit (PPS) where 154 of them were detained by police after participating in the Merdeka parade this morning.
Speaking to reporters outside the Northeast Police Headquarters in Jalan Patani, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state is confident of the legality of the PPS which was set up in 2010 to respond to disasters and provide community service to the public.
"We - the state executive council members and I as chief minister - are fully responsible for the PPS, for they were formed as a state government body, under state powers, there is no need for the IGP's threat to raid their homes in search of those responsible," Lim said.
Lim was responding to inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar's ( right ) warning to the PPS members to surrender of face a raid at their homes.
Khalid has deemed illegal the voluntary team - which has 200 over teams and over 7,000 members to date - as the group was not registered with the Registrar of Societies.
The 154 were hauled up after marching in the Merdeka parade in the Esplanade, and would probably be held overnight by the police, pending their remand applications.
Activities stopped
Lim then announced that all activities by the volunteer group will be withheld for the next 24 hours as the comrades of those arrested wish to show support and solidarity to their friends.
"We will make a further announcement about this matter tomorrow after a meeting," Lim said.
The DAP secretary-general said so far four lawyers - more will be roped in - are assisting to secure the release of the PPS members.
"We hope the police will expedite the process so that we do not need to hold them overnight or further remand them," he said.
"We will uphold our promise to defend these members - who are loyal to the country and who obey the law - legally and financially," he added.
DAP MP Ramkarpal Singh ( left ) confirmed that the 154 PPS members will be detained overnight and remanded tomorrow.
"Police have denied their rights to legal representation. Lawyers can merely visit them unofficially but are not allowed to accompany them when their statements were recorded," Ramkarpal said.
He expressed regret that the police are not able to say under which law the men were arrested.
No details
Sri Delima state assemblyperson RSN Rayer said was difficult for the state government to explain to the families as no details of the arrests are provided by the police.
"How are we going to explain to their families when their fathers participated in a Merdeka Parade organised by state government but later ended up in the lock-up without knowing which law is violated?" he queried.
"It's a long weekend (tomorrow is a public holiday due to the Merdeka celebrations), some may have promised their children to go for dinner after the celebration," Rayer mused.
Air Itam assemblyperson Wong Hon Wai said that the police hass "insulted" Penang Governor Abdul Rahman Abbas when they arrested the men, as “he was a guest at the Merdeka Parade".
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