PMTG PAUH PKR Machang Bubuk assemblyperson Lee Khai Loon has claimed that several party volunteers have been called in for questioning by the police following PKR ceramah currently being held in the run-up to the Permatang Pauh by-election.

“Our volunteers are being harassed by calls asking them to go to the police station to give their statement,” Lee said when contacted by Malaysiakini .

“This is the campaign period so we should be allowed to have ceramah or meet voters anywhere whether in public or in coffee- shops,” he added.

The Permatang Pauh by-election campaign period has entered its third day with four candidates vying for the parliamentary seat that goes to polls on May 7. Early voting is fixed for May 3.

PKR’s candidate and president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is contesting against three others - Umno’s Suhaimi Sabudin, PRM’s Azman Shah Othman and independent Salleh Isahak.

The seat fell vacant when former MP and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim failed to obtain a royal pardon for his release from prison where he is serving a five-year jail term for sodomy.

According to Lee ( pix above ), two PKR volunteers were called in to give their statement at the Seberang Perai police headquarters in Bandar Perda yesterday.

Cops monitoring coffee-shops

He said police did not tell them why they were called in for questioning.

The two were questioned on PKR’s campaign activities in Sama Gagah and Seberang Jaya, added Lee, who is PKR Bukit Mertajam chief.

“They were asked what were they doing within the vicinity and who were the speakers at the ceramah. The police should just attend the event and record what was being said,” Lee said.

“When those called in for questioning provide names, those persons in turn will then be called in by the police to give their statements and we consider this a harassment,” he added.

Lee also pointed out that coffee-shops where PKR had recently organised small group ceramah were now being monitored by plainclothes policemen.

“We regret such incidents as it is the campaigning period for the Permatang Pauh seat and we should be free to do our campaign work,” he said.

When contacted, Seberang Perai Tengah OCPD Assistant Commissioner Rusli Mohd Noor appeared to be in the dark about Lee’s claims.

He asked instead, “What did they do?” when told the four were questioned by his men at the police headquarters yesterday.

“Perhaps, they had attended a ceramah which did not get police approval, but I do not know about it,” Rusli told Malaysiakini .

“Usually, it is standard procedure when we call people to provide their statements if there are police reports lodged against another person or over an incident,” he explained.

“But so far, I have no received any report with regard to Lee’s complaint,” he said.