The Internal Security Act detainees who were allegedly threatened with longer period of detention by Special Branch (SB) officers should lodge a police report through their family members, said national police spokesperson Ramli Yoosuf.  

Contacted by Malaysiakini yesterday, Ramli said the police force regard this as “very serious allegations.”

    

“If this is true, then they should ask their family members to lodge a police report, and let us investigate,” he said.

Pending the outcome of the investigation, Ramli said he cannot confirm or deny the claims.

According to lawyer Afiq M Noor, one of the detainees, Fadzullah Abdul Razak, had been threatened by SB officers to extend the detention period of those who spoke to him.

Two siblings, who are being held under the ISA despite that the security law had been repealed, had initially refused to speak to Afiq and three other lawyers when they went to visit them at the Kamunting detention camp.

However, one of them later  changed his mind and briefly talked to the lawyers.

No faith in police probe

When asked to comment on the police spokesperson’s exhortation, Afiq said he would advise the family members to do as told, but added that he has little faith in the men in blue to carry out a proper investigation.

“I don’t think we can place any hope on them because they were the one who threatened the detainees.

“Besides, many reports have been lodged before (on various issues), but we don’t see them taking any action,” he said.

Afiq said the only way to go about it is to expose the case to the members of public, and let pressure be mounted on the police.