Police are mulling to use malodorants in place of irritants with their water cannons, in hopes that it would be more effective for crowd dispersal.

“We are thinking that as a deterrent measure, we may use very smelly (chemicals) that people don’t like.

“We would shoot, they (protesters) would stink; they can’t even visit a shopping complex later, so they would go home,” said police observer ACP Jamaluddin Abdul Rahman.

NONE He said this when explaining the inner workings of a water cannon truck to the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) at the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) base in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

Suhakam commissioners Detta Samen and Mahmood Zuhdi A Majid were there for a visit this morning as part of its public inquiry on allegations of human rights abuses during the Bersih 3.0 rally.

When asked about plans to use malodorants - chemicals that create extreme stench - Jamaluddin told reporters, “We are just daydreaming ( angan-angan ) only. We haven’t studied that idea.”

He added that he was unaware if this is being done in other countries.

NONE Jamaluddin, who is attached to the police Internal Security and Public Order Department, also told the Suhakam commissioners that the water canon trucks are capable of spraying water up to 60 metres away, and the operator can add either pigments or irritants (CS) to the mix.

However, he said only plain water is used at first as a warning, and CS would only be added if the crowd refuses to disperse.

In addition, he said he would prefer to use water cannons that have a longer range to allow for greater standoff distance between protesters and the police.

NONE During the visit, an FRU personnel was also asked to step on sheets of paper, so that his boot prints can be compared with those found on the T-shirts of Bersih 3.0 protesters who had alleged that they have been stomped by the police.

Jamaluddin and FRU Unit 1 commanding officer Supt Zahari Mohd Yusoff also showed some of the equipment used during the Bersih 3.0 rally, including barbed wire, tear gas shells, and the FRU command vehicle.

Tear gas launcher firing drills

Tear gas launcher firing drills were also demonstrated, although Zahari stressed that FRU had only lobbed their shells overhead.

NONE Although it is part of standard operating procedures, he said the FRU did not level their launchers straight at protesters or pointed downward to bounce the shells off the road.

Jamaluddin said the former is used only against crowds at a distance if there are strong winds above, while the latter is against crowds that are closer.

The police also demonstrated a SoundCommander backpack-like loudspeaker, which was used by FRU troop commanders to issue warnings via a wireless microphone.

“Disperse immediately or we will disperse you by force,” said one FRU officer during the demonstration.

NONE Jamaluddin said the sound could be heard even 100 metres away, before sending the police personnel carrying the speaker down the parade grounds to demonstrate.

“When we give the warnings, the crowd cheers. That means they (heard the warnings but) reacted differently,” Jamaluddin added, apparently addressing complaints of some witnesses that the warning was not heard.

He also said that the police are considering employing a three-layered defence in the future, cracking down only after the first two layers were broken.

“We can show to the court it is their intention (to intrude the restricted area) and they have breached two layers,” he said.

NONE When asked about a Unit Amal-led charge near KLCC on the morning of April 28, Jamaluddin said the police forming a human wall there were told not to resist to avoid a physical confrontation.

“Those kids ( budak-budak ) carry pistols. We fear that in event of a physical confrontation and in their efforts to defend themselves, they panic and resort to firearms.

“That is worse. We are not dealing with enemies, but Malaysian citizens,” he said.