PAS Youth chief Mahfuz Omar claimed that he was taken for a predawn ride in a Prisons Department vehicle after being released from the Kajang prison at about 2am this morning.

He said he was driven around for about two hours before the four-wheel-drive vehicle stopped at the Rawang toll plaza.

He said he managed to jump out there and quickly call his political secretary on his mobile phone which had been returned to him.

"The men in the vehicle tried to prevent me from jumping out but I managed to break free and wait for my political secretary," he said, adding that he and his secretary then drove back to the Kajang prison where supporters were scheduled to greet him at about 8am.

The MP for Pokok Sena, Kedah, was speaking to reporters at a gathering organised by his supporters outside the prison to welcome him following his release today.

He said he was considering taking legal action against the Prison authorities over the incident which he termed as "immoral", adding that the prison should not be used as a tool to hamper the opposition's cause.

Scuffle

Present to greet him were his wife and daughter, BA leaders, and about 2,000 people. Also present were foreign and local media. Several of his supporters rushed forward to kiss and hug him as he came out to greet them.

Things almost turned ugly when a scuffle broke out between a Chinese press photographer and one of Mahfuz's bodyguards when the latter were trying to keep the photographers away from Mahfuz.

The bodyguards were seen to be a bit over-zealous but the situation was defused when the photographer concerned withdrew, albeit angrily, after being calmed down by his fellow lens-men.

Mahfuz's deputy, Salahuddin Ayub, and Jalaludin Abdul Manan who were sent to prison together with Mahfuz, were also released at 2.30am.

The three men were found guilty of taking part in an illegal assembly to protest the presence of the Israeli cricket team outside the Universiti Malaya in April 1997. They opted for the one-month prison sentence instead of the RM1,500 fine each.

Salehudin told malaysiakini that he and Ayub were also 'taken for a ride' to Pantai Dalam near Universiti Malaya before they were taken back to the prison.

Roadblock

At about 8.15am today, Barisan Alternatif leaders Dr Syed Husin Ali (PRM), Fadzil Noor (PAS), Lim Kit Siang (DAP) and Tian Chua (Keadilan) tried to negotiate with the police to allow them to meet Mahfuz but were denied permission.

Earlier, police officers had told the supporters that Mahfuz had been released at 2am and was not within the prison vicinity.

"That is the police version. Until we see him with our own eyes, we will not believe the police," said Syed Husin.

By 9.15am, Mahfuz and BA supporters had filled the road leading to the Kajang prison. Police had set up a roadblock half-a-kilometre from the prison gates and about 50 FRU personnel with rotan sticks cordoned off the area.

A police helicopter was also seen hovering above.

After Mahfuz exited the prison, the crowd proceeded to the Masjid Jamed Hulu Langat Kajang for sembahyang syukur (thanksgiving prayers) before leaving for Friday prayers at the Kuala Lumpur National Mosque.

Higher mentality

Meanwhile, police officer Inspector M Zainal told malaysiakini that the police were there to maintain peace and protect civilians from any untoward incidences.

"We have a higher mentality than these people. If not for us, many will not be sleeping peacefully," said Zainal.

Meanwhile, according to the HarakahDaily .com website today, Mahfuz claimed that 75 percent of the staff at the prison were BA supporters. He said whenever the prisoners met him they would shout reformasi slogans and called him "Yang Berhormat reformasi" (the honourable reformist).

Mahfuz also claimed that sodomy occurred widely behind the prison walls. He said two days before he was released, a sodomite and his victim were detained.

Mahfuz also related his experiences watching prisoners live their last hour before being brought to the gallows to be hung. Coincidently, he said, his room was behind the gallows, separated only by a thin wall.

"I also saw prisoners with cane marks. One day, I was at the hospital and was about to enter the restroom when I witnessed some prisoners who had come to the hospital for medication. They were applying medicine to each other's bodies after being caned," he said.

He said that he would relate more of his experiences at the PAS operations centre at Taman Melewar, Gombak tonight, where BA supporters will attend a ceramah organised by PAS.