Despite granting permission for the Jan 9 rally in front of the Kuala Lumpur court complex on Jalan Duta, the police are now looking at the possibility of booking suspected rally organisers

This follows investigations based on a police report lodged on Dec 30 by Sentul district police chief Zakaria Pagan against 17 individuals, comprising opposition politicians and activists.

NONE The individuals include PKR politicians Tian Chua, Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin, N Surendran, Latheefa Koya, Rozan Azen Mat Rasip and Zuraida Kamaruddin.

The activists on the list are E Nalini, Edmund Bon, Wong Chin Huat, S Arutchelvan, Badrul Hisham Shaharin, Haris Ibrahim, Maria Chin Abdullah and S Ambiga.

According to PKR vice-president N Surendran, who managed to take down 15 of the 17 names in the police report, the report states that the 17 were involved in organising an illegal rally.

One suspect brought in for questioning today was PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, who was told he is being probed under the Sedition Act 1948. Curiously, his name is not in Zakaria's police report.

‘The investigation is harassment'

Azmin had his statement recorded at the Kepong police station and he said later that the police investigation against him was a form of harassment.

"I am disappointed with the probe... On Jan 6, the police gave permission for the rally. Why must there be investigations now?

"This is a form of harassment, to silence Pakatan Rakyat leaders," Azmin said when met at the police station.

Surendran, who is a lawyer, said the police report also stated that Section 105 of the Criminal Procedure Code can be used to hold the suspects in preventive detention.

Agreeing with Azmin, Surendran said the police must stop all forms of harassment, while Azmin pointed out that questioning him under the Sedition Act, despite his name not being in the police report, was one such form of harassment.

"This is strange, but it can happen in the police investigations," Azmin added.