All the 11 Hume Industries union workers who were arrested over a sabotage charge, including the four detained on Monday, have been released.

This follows the assurances by Perak police chief Amirruddin Embi to representatives from the Non-Metallic Union at a meeting yesterday, following complaints of ill-treatment in custody.

Apart from the two arrested on Monday, the rest were picked up last month after their employer lodged 32 police reports alleging that they were trying to sabotage their ceiling factory in Chemor, Ipoh.

No more arrests

Of the four men who were arrested on Monday, two were released yesterday and the others earlier today.

Hume has claimed that the union workers were responsible for arson and destruction of machinery at the factory.

In the meeting with the union, Amiruddin promised that the police will not be making any more arrests without informing the union ahead of time.

Union national vice-president Zainuddin Abdul Ghani told malaysiakini that the police would inform the union if it needed to question any of the workers and the union can take them to the police station.

The union had also sent a letter to the police chief stating that the detained workers were treated "as though to assume that they were criminals" as they were handcuffed, blindfolded and arrested in the wee hours of the morning in front of their families.

It added that some workers were also threatened by the police that they would be detained under the Internal Security Act and forced to sign statements without having a chance to read them

Damaging remark

Meanwhile, in a letter to Ipoh district police chief Ismail Abdullah, the union asked him to clarify a report in the Star today which quoted him as saying, "The union (has) agreed to cooperate with the police to bring in those who had carried out (the) acts of sabotage."

Union general secretary S Somahsundram said Ismail's comment was misleading and could tarnish the union's reputation as it gives the impression that the union is aware of those involved in the 'sabotage'.

"We are of the opinion that what has appeared in the Star was a misquoted statement and needs to be corrected immediately," he added.

Somahsundram said the union had clarified in their discussion with the police chief that they have no knowledge of any sabotage acts.

He said this was a response to the suggestion by the police that the union should "ask those involved in the sabotage to surrender".

"We requested that there was no need to arrest our members as it has implications on their status in society...and we agreed that in the event the police needs to talk to any of our members, we are amenable to bring them to the police," he added.