PRM Youth vice-chairperson Jonson Chong lodged a police report today against Petaling Jaya district police chief Shaik Mustapha Shaik Ahmad for alleged "abuse of power and use of violence".
Chong (photo) who lodged the report with the Sungai Buloh police station claimed that the police chief used "unreasonable violence" against him and a Keadilan Youth leader Sanusi Abdullah yesterday.
"We lodge this report with the hope that the matter will be investigated fully and appropriate action taken against those concerned," said Chong when contacted today
The duo were "manhandled" and arrested when Federal Reserve Unit personnel broke-up a gathering to celebrate the 55th birthday of detained ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim opposite an army camp in Bandar Sungai Buloh.
Since his sacking and jailing in 1998, supporters of the former deputy prime minister have tried in vain to gather outside the Sungai Buloh prison to commemorate his birthday.
Without fail, each year, police personnel will mount roadblocks at least 10km away from the prison complex. There will also be water cannon trucks and Federal Reserve Unit personnel stationed outside the prison.
Meanwhile, Chong said he was arrested and dragged to a police truck when he questioned several FRU personnel who attempted to confiscate a banner which read, 'Happy Birthday Anwar'.
"Suddenly I was pushed violently by the FRU personnel. Then they dragged me into the truck eventhough their boss had given them instructions to refrain from pushing," he said in his police report.
"The fact is I have been injured, my shirt was torn and my handphone damaged," he added.
Chong, a lawyer by training, said he had consulted a doctor in Petaling Jaya this morning.
Illegal gathering
When contacted later, Sheikh Mustapha painted a different picture and accused Chong and his comrades of being "rude" to the police.
Mustapha said the 200-odd people who gathered at the roadside yesterday were guilty of an illegal assembly.
Despite the circumstances, the police chief said he gave the crowd 10 minutes to disperse.
"When they refused, we arrested the two to gertak (threaten) them. I pointed my water cannon at them but didn't do it lah ," he told malaysiakini .
Mustapha also accused the Keadilan supporters of causing a massive traffic jam which lasted for five hours since 9am.
He said they were "childish for trying to cut a birthday cake and sing songs on the roadside when Anwar is in the prison".
The police chief then advised Keadilan supporters to apply for a permit the next time they planned to hold an event. "Come and talk to me, I am a gentleman," he said.
However, Mustapha insisted that such gatherings should only be organised indoors.
Asked how Chong's T-shirt was torn, Mustapha denied that it was the police who did it.
"We have lodged a report with the Sungai Pulong police station (near Sungai Buloh). It was one of the Keadilan supporters who tore the T-shirt, then took a photograph, not us," he said.
