Gathering-shy police chief warns of arrest again

Peeved by the presence of some 50 people milling about outside his police station, the gathering-shy Brickfields police chief Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid once again grabbed the loud hailer and warned of arrest.

Wan Abdul, who has been drawing flak from opposition politicians and civil society groups for his zero-tolerance for gatherings, gave three warnings.

He wanted everyone, including journalists and those arrested on May 7 for an illegal assembly, to disperse.

As he started a one-to-10 countdown, five Light Strike Force personnel formed a human barricade in front of the police station. The crowd dispersed but regrouped later.

Some 20 lawyers and members of the public were also present to lend support to those detained, which included five lawyers.

Those detained were told to report back to the police station today.

However, Wan Abdul had registered surprise over their presence, saying the police had already informed one of their lawyers M Puravelan that no charges would be slapped against them and they need not come.

"What happened today should not have happened. The police have contacted the Bar Council. So I do not understand why they are here today," he said.

Mixed reactions

Speaking to reporters later, lawyer N Surendran ( left in photo ), who was representing the arrested lawyers, slammed the police chief over his actions.

"How can the police call this an illegal assembly when they are the ones who gave notice to those detained to come here today," he said.

Another lawyer Latheefa Koya ( right in photo ) complained that the police were giving 'mixed reactions'.

She said one police officer told her that her clients were free to go while another said those detained would be called back when the police are ready.

"I do not know what that means, but we are going to take it that it means that they are off the hook," she added.

The five lawyers were arrested after attempting to provide legal assistance to the 15 who were nabbed during a candlelight vigil in support of Bersih activist Wong Chin Huat, who himself was detained under the Sedition Act.

The five are Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, Syuhaini Safwan, Ravinder Singh, Murnie Hidayah Anuar and Puspawati Rosman.