After human rights group Suaram came under siege over its legal status by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) and Companies Commission Malaysia (CCM), it is now being investigated by the police for illegal assembly.

NONE The investigation is based on a complaint lodged by both the police and CCM, which accused Suaram of illegal assembly when its supporters and activists turned up at the former's headquarters in September to show support for Suaram directors who were then being questioned by CCM.

In a statement, Suaram executive director E Nalini ( right ) said two police officers arrived at the NGO's office today, informing them that they were being investigated under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.

She added that the police want to record statements from 10 individuals who were present at the CCM headquarters that day, under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Other than Nalini herself and Suaram activists Cynthia Gabriel, K Arumugam, Wong Kar Fai, M Sivarajani and Sarah Devaraj, the police also named Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) executive director Ivy Josiah, lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri as well as Anne Ooi or "Auntie Bersih".

'Series of harassment'

"Suaram reiterates that the ongoing harassment against Suaram is highly political and demands that all form of intimidation and harassment against human rights defenders be stopped immediately," Nalini said.

NONE The police involvement, Nalini said, marks the entry of another authority in attempting to harass the human rights NGO.

"Now it is the police's turn to harass Suaram... Thus far, the CCM has concluded its investigation while the ROS is still investigating Suaram," she said.

The human rights NGO has insisted that Suaram and its vehicle Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd are one of the same, however, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob ( above ) has insisted that the two are separate entities and the former may be an illegal organisation.

The CCM had investigated Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd for "confusing" accounts with the ROS joining the fray later - a move which Suaram decries as they claim ROS has no jurisdiction over it.