A police officer was today questioned over the remand of a 17-year-old student in the ongoing Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) inquiry into alleged human rights violations at an opposition-sponsored rally along the Kesas highway in Klang on Nov 5 last year.

Commissioner and inquiry chairman Anuar Zainal Abidin asked the police witness, "When you had spent so much time interrogating her, spending three to four hours on Nov 7 and three hours on Nov 8, why is it that you did not ask her when she was going to take her SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) examinations?"

The witness, Inspector Stephen Ganesan, said, "Maybe I forgot."

Ganesan, an Investigating Officer at the Klang district police headquarters, was responsible for the remand of 119 individuals arrested for illegal assembly, including fifth former Umi Jumaina Mohd Jan, during the 100,000 People's Gathering organised by Keadilan.

The inquiry also questioned Ganesan why Umi had not been released earlier rather than on Nov 10, two days before the SPM examinations.

"I could not release her as we were still investigating her case," Ganesan said.

"As a student she should not have been there. She was wearing a Keadilan shirt, too," he added, at which point he submitted a picture of Umi to the inquiry.

Umi testified before the inquiry on Dec 13 last year that police personnel abused her when she was arrested and later harassed her during interrogation.

"I was trying to run away but was caught," she had said. "My head scarf was pulled off and I was elbowed and beaten with a baton. I fell onto the road in a daze but was ordered to get up and brought to a police truck," said Umi.

No violence

Earlier today, the inquiry heard the testimony of deputy FRU (Federal Reserve Unit) commander Supt Roslan Abdullah who stated that he did not see any of the personnel under his command commit any form of abuse.

"No, I did not see any of my men use violence against those who were arrested. I will not give orders to do so because I do not condone such behaviour.

"But if they do commit these wrongdoings they will have to bear the responsibility themselves. They will have disciplinary action taken against them," Roslan said.

Anuar also asked Roslan if it was true that the FRU troops had been put in a state of mind where they would respond violently to the crowd.

"The FRU personnel were constantly rotated and they never waited there for more than a few hours," said Roslan in reply.

Roslan was later showed a video of about 10 police personnel surrounding another inquiry witness, Saidin Wateh @ Pak Din, being kicked and beaten with batons.

"They were not FRU, they were Poru (Public Order and Riot Unit) personnel," Roslan clarified to the inquiry.

He later said that the FRU have the same equipment as Poru units the only difference being that Poru units have green uniforms whereas the FRU are in blue.

Trained to keep calm

Meanwhile another witness, the commandant of an FRU training school in Ipoh, ASP Mohamad Fauzi Ismail told the inquiry that even in tense situations, the FRU have been trained to remain calm at all times.

"Yes, we do get the feeling of vengeance at times, but we have been trained and it is expected in our line of work to have to go through situations of provocation.

"We keeping telling our men of the need to have both physical and mental endurance to be able to weather these situations," Fauzi said.

When commissioner and inquiry panel member Mehrun Siraj asked Fauzi what he tells his men in such situations, he said, "We just tell them to keep calm."

Anuar, a former Chief Justice of Malaysia, is assisted by Mehrun, a former dean of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's law faculty, and Simon Sipaun of the Sabah Civil Service Commission.

The inquiry continues at the Suhakam headquarters in Menara Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow, with three more witnesses from the police.