A bodyguard for Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Ismail told the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) today that he was directly hit on the head with a tear gas canister which riot policemen launched in his direction.

"On Nov 5, I was asked by the family of (jailed deputy prime minister) Anwar Ibrahim to go and observe the situation in Jalan Kebun and report back," said 31-year-old Shaiful Khairy Kamarulzaman (photo).

He said that Federal Reserve Units (FRU) were spraying chemical irritants to disperse the reformasi protestors when he reached there.

When the situation calmed down, Saiful said that he decided to call Azizah. She arrived an hour later on a wheelchair, the result of an accident at home.

She then proceeded to give a speech, calling on the gathering to disperse, he said.

"Before anybody could disperse I heard news that a police officer had been beaten. I knew that there was going to be trouble. I wanted to make sure that Wan Azizah had an escape route.

"When the FRU began to move forward, the other (Barisan Alternatif) leaders were still making speeches. Wan Azizah was then being wheeled away. But 20 or 30 feet later, the tires of her wheelchair burst," said Saiful.

He said that another bodyguard and her relative carried Azizah across the highway as she was beginning to succumb to the tear gas.

According to him, a white Proton Wira, driven by a stranger, stopped to ferry Wan Azizah to safety.

"I helped her in and then sat on the boot. There were three to six riot policemen behind us and one of them pointed a tear gas canister launcher in our direction and fired. I was hit on the head and I fell. Even though it was shot at a 60-70 feet range, it hit me directly.

"When I got up, I was dazed. My vision was blurred and I was deaf in my right ear," he said.

Saiful told the inquiry that he was admitted to the intensive care unit at the Shah Alam Selangor Medical Centre for two days and one night with a fractured skull.

Unlawfully detained

The three-member Suhakam panel, headed by former judge Anuar Zainal Abidin, is investigating allegations of police brutality at the reformasi gathering along the Kesas highway on Nov 5.

Meanwhile, another witness, Shaari Abdul Karim, 40, told the inquiry that he was going home to Shah Alam on Nov 5 but was caught in the traffic jam caused by the gathering.

He said that around six General Operations Force (GOF) policemen chased after him.

"I had nothing to do with the gathering. I was only watching. When the police ran towards me, I started running, and then I was beaten. I was beaten with a stick, stepped on and kicked. I was bruised in the eye, the right arm, the left arm and on my back.

"When I fell down, I was told to get up and was then beaten again. I was half-conscious and was then handcuffed," he said.

Another witness, Monashofian Zulkarnain Putra, said that he too, had been unlawfully detained and was not a participant at the gathering.

"I was coming from my sibling's house after sending my child there and I was heading towards Klang via the Kesas highway. I was stopped at a roadblock but was let through. I was later caught in a jam. I was stuck and came out of the car to pray.

"I had no intention of becoming involved with the gathering. After my prayers by the roadside, I went back to my car and directly behind me appeared a team of policemen, two water cannon trucks, the GOF and others. They directed the water cannons at me," he said.

Car damaged

He said that a group of uniformed policemen whom he identified as DSP Bahwandi (Hiralal) and an ASP Shamsudin hit his windscreen and kicked his car door.

"Shamsudin kicked my door until it was dented and Bahwandi dented my car bonnet," he said.

He said that another police officer shattered his car's rear windscreen.

Monashofian said that his car was then towed away with him still inside and was taken to the Port Klang police station where he spent five days in the lockup.

The inquiry will resume tomorrow at 9.30am at Suhakam headquarters in Menara Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.

Keadilan leader Azizah, Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar and Kuala Kedah MP Muhamad Sabu, both of whom are from PAS, are expected to testify tomorrow.