A 46-year-old political activist has lodged a police report over alleged brutality while being detained in Kelantan’s Tanah Merah police station lock-up last month.

“A uniformed police officer scolded me and a verbal altercation ensued. Afterwards he left. Then three police officers pulled me out of my cell and began to beat me.

“I suffered multiple punches to the stomach, kicks and was trampled by the police officers who were wearing boots,” read the police report lodged by Amran.

As a result of the beating, Amran claimed that he had suffered injuries on his leg.

Claiming that he can identify the trio who beat him up, Amran said: “I demand that the matter be investigated and those responsible be brought to book.”

NONE Amran ( second from left ) lodged the police report accompanied by Jingga 13 coordinator Faris Musa and Tanah Merah MP Amran Ghani at the Putrajaya police district headquarters yesterday.

The incident, Faris told Malaysiakini, happened on the day Amran was arrested at around 9.30pm.

Shortly after the argument with the police officer, he was pulled into a secluded corner of the lockup, well away from security cameras, and beaten up.

Faris related that Amran was originally arrested on March 26 for allegedly burning a flag and disrupting an Umno ceramah.

Unlike most such cases he labelled as “politically motivated”, Amran’s remand was extended to nine days until April 3.

“Whereas in cases like this, the remand is usually one day and then you are released under police bail. However, we think that the extended remand period is to cover up the case (of his beating).”

Improper public behaviour

In another twist, Faris related that Amran will be charged in court on April 18 with improper public behaviour, instead of the “offences” for which he was initially arrested.

NONE Amran’s case is just one more in the long list of complaints against police brutality which continues to dog the police force, and paints an ugly picture of their professionalism and credibility.

Such cases are used as a basis by rights groups to reinforce their call for the setting up of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) as proposed by the Royal Police Commission.

Touted to be the most significant of the 125 recommendations made by the commission, it however received lukewarm response from the government and the police, with a watered-down version of it set up as the Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission.

In a move to revamp its image, new police chief Ismail Omar has mounted a campaign to introduce the ‘Harimau Biru’ or Blue Tiger police mascot as well as vowing immediate action against cases of police brutality that has emerged recently involving mat rempits or motorcycle hooligans.