Journalists in Kuching, Sarawak have requested the police to be more tactful and apply intelligent approaches in apprehending suspects to avoid the embarrassment of making mistakes.

Kuching Division Journalists' Association president Monica Phang said today that this could cause embarrassment to the person and the stigma would be there for long.

"They should be more professional and should never handcuff a person, especially if the person did not resist arrest," she was quoted by national news agency Bernama as saying when commenting on the arrest of a local newspaper reporter on suspicion of being involved in a crime case.

Nabbed by more than 10 cops

In the incident, Hilary Sebastian from The Malaysian Today tabloid newspaper was arrested and handcuffed at the Sarawak Plaza shopping complex in Kuching by more than 10 policemen because his motorcycle number plate was similar to the one used by snatch thieves in a snatching case at the Maybank branch in Kuching on Sept 9. Hilary did not resist arrest and willingly handed over his motorcycle key and helmet when asked to do so.

He was taken to the Sungai Maong police station in a police van but later released him after they realised that they have arrested the wrong person.

Phang said the association understood the police job to nab criminals and to ensure public safety. "But if they just arrest and handcuff anybody, especially if they do not resist...this is not good for the public, the image of the police and tourism industry because next time they could have nabbed a tourist and this is not a good publicity," she said.

In Hilary's case, she said, the police could have asked him to follow them to the police station and question him there without handcuffing.