Three members of the Abolish ISA Movement (GMI) today filed a complaint with the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters against Dang Wangi police chief Hadi Ho Abdullah for alleged misconduct.

The three, S Arutchelvan, Badrul Hisham Shaharin and S Puspalingam, gave their statements to the police disciplinary committee alleging misconduct on Hadi's part in preventing a GMI event at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur and the arrest of two activists.

About 10 other GMI members who had wanted to give their statements as witnesses, were refused entry.

Restore public confidence

"The disciplinary committee has recorded our statements and they told us that what we have given is enough for them to start an investigation.

"To restore public confidence in the police force, they should suspend Hadi if he is found guilty," GMI secretary Arutchelvan said when met outside the police headquarters later.

GMI accused Hadi of misconduct for giving the order to seal off the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall before the launch of the ISA Mala Fide campaign on Oct 1 that called for the release of the six reformasi leaders who are currently detained under the ISA.

Ten people suffered light injuries that night when police charged at the crowd that had gathered outside the building demanding to be let in.

GMI maintained that although no permit is required to hold an indoor event, they had tried their best to cooperate with the police with regard to the launch by submitting a letter of undertaking to the Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai and meeting with Hadi to assure him that it would be run smoothly.

However, they said that Hadi himself had cut off the channel of communication by refusing to discuss the matter with them.

Arutchelvan also said that the disciplinary committee had advised GMI to lodge a police report over the injuries.

Arrested for leafleting

The coalition of 73 political parties, non-government organisations (NGOs) and human rights groups also claimed police misconduct in the arrest of anti-ISA activists Sanusi Abdullah and S Manikavasigam when they were giving out anti-ISA leaflets at the Central Market on Oct 19.

The two were arrested by plainclothes policemen and taken to the Jalan Tun HS Lee police station where they spent the night in lock-up and were denied food for 18 hours.

Badrul's car was also confiscated in connection with the arrest and is still at the Jalan Tun HS Lee police station.

Pusalinggam claimed to have witnessed the police ransacking the car and taking several documents and a bag from it.

Badrul later discovered that more than RM3,000 belonging to his company and confidential documents for a court case in Jelebu were missing from his car. Three police reports have already been lodged over that incident.

"To this day I have not received any notices or letters about the items that they took from my car, and I have not signed anything at all.

"They could say they found drugs or guns in my car and I won't be able to say anything (against them)," Badrul said.

Professionalism lacking

According to Arutchelvan, in all instances when the police confiscate items from a car, the owner of the car and a police officer must be present, and a list of all confiscated items must be drawn up.

Badrul, a businessman and Keadilan Youth exco member, criticised the lack of professionalism in investigating his case.

"(During questioning) it seemed as though they were more interested in my involvement with the party and my job rather than the documents and money that were taken while my car was in police possession," he said.

Besides lodging the police reports and meeting with the disciplinary committee, GMI has also filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, Suhakam.

Asked what further action would be taken, Arutchelvan said that they could only wait and hope that the police would act on the existing complaints.