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Fourteen years after one of the most serious threats to the liberty of Malaysians, the Operasi Lalang dragnet that saw 107 arrests under the draconian Internal Security Act, police detained two cameramen, a journalist and 45 others at an anti-ISA gathering in Kamunting, Perak, on Saturday.

The 48 have been released but not without conditions. Eleven have to report to the Taiping police station at the end of this month and the rest on Nov 6.

Last Saturday morning, uniformed and plainclothes police personnel together with the Federal Reserve Unit members in red head-gears, brandishing batons and shields, also issued warnings to journalists who were on the scene and threatened to detain them if they did not move off.

Police also harassed ordinary people who were having lunch in a nearby restaurant. Several policemen marched into the shop, shouted and demanded the people to surrender their identity cards and later arrested them. Youths who came by with their bicycles and motorcycles to purchase sundries were barked at and told to "get lost". Wives and children were prevented from seeing their husbands and fathers who had been roughly taken away and pushed into police trucks.

Why must the police rudely interrupt people in their meals when they had already dispersed? Why must the authorities create chaos and disrupt businesses? Why can't families meet or talk with their loved ones who had been detained? Why are journalists prevented from doing their job?

Gift of speech

Those who have never attended such gatherings and hearing it third-hand from so-called authoritative sources would almost automatically think that the people had provoked the police into such a frenzy. The truth is, there was not a single moment when the multi-racial crowd was being 'provocative'. The 300-odd people, including many women, children and senior citizens, had gathered there with the hope of submitting a memorandum to the camp's commandant to express concern over the welfare and health of the current ISA detainees and to commemorate the 14th anniversary of Operasi Lalang.

People needed to remember this day, for it was not merely about a detention, an act of throwing someone behind bars without giving him the opportunity to defend himself, to know if what he had done was so monumentally menacing that it could threaten war on a whole nation. It was not simply about an order from the Home Ministry to prevent social, religious and political activists from creating havoc.

For following that fateful crackdown many years ago, many hearts broke, stomachs went hungry, relationships turned sour and minds clammed up in the throes of fear. Speech - a gift of God to no other living organism - lost its voice.

Five minutes to clear off

So when police on Saturday, blocked the road 3km away from the Kamunting Detention Camp where ISA detainees are being held, several people's representatives, led by Suaram's S Arutchelvam, tried to negotiate with the police to allow a delegation to pass through and carry out their plan. Police officer HR Adnan reluctantly gave the people five minutes to choose three delegates and clear off.

"Or else, we will move in and use water cannons and the FRU to disperse the crowd," he threatened.

"Give us more time. We need some time to discuss. We need to brief people about the memorandum," Arutchelvam pleaded to no avail.

When he asked to speak to the Chief Police Officer, Adnan replied defiantly, "You think I cannot handle this without the CPO?"

The group finally agreed to send PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali, PAS Youth leader Mahfuz Omar and Bahirah Tajol Aris, wife of ISA detainee Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor. The delegates were not permitted to drive their way to the camp and had to walk all three kilometres under the sun and back. Thankfully though, families of the detainees were allowed to drive through.

When told again to disperse, the rest of the people walked away and some went into the nearby coffee shops for refreshments. Others stood on the five-foot way to wait for the delegates' return, yet others waited in anticipation since two water cannon trucks had arrived and an army of FRU personnel directed to take their positions on the road in front of the shophouses.

While people were starting to leave, groups of plainclothes policemen headed for the people's representatives who had earlier negotiated with the police. The first few to be grabbed were Arutchelvam, Parti Sosialis Malaysia's vice-president Dr D Jeyakumar and Keadilan Youth leader Abdul Ghani Haroon.

The police then went for the bystanders who were either observing the erratic arrests or eating in shops. Also detained were the three media practitioners.

No chaos

When the arrests were made, no one was shouting anti-government or anti-Mahathir slogans, no one was carrying anti-ISA placards. No party flags or banners were unfurled or flapped about. There were no fights, no traffic jam, no chaos. The people were obedient and composed.

The peaceful protesters were courageous enough to make a statement about the ISA, an act which they have come to know to be nothing but an instrument of fear that the powers that be use to silent legitimate voices of dissent.

In the past, non-governmental organisations and political party members have organised anti-ISA anniversaries outside the camp without encountering such high-handed actions on the part of the police. So why the need now for such harassment, aggression and arbitrary decisions?

Police showed little restraint that day; neither did they show much respect for fellow citizens. Their shocking indiscretion shows that they have no regard for the advice and recommendations of Suhakam, the Malaysian Human Rights Commission, which stated that police should practise restraint, review methods of dispersal and give sufficient time for people to move off.

The police, backed by the Home Ministry, appear to be tackling with religious zeal, their need to "preserve" the government of the day. In their worldview, there should be only one voice, one line of thinking and one way of acting - the one that pleases those in power. Those who want to speak, think or act otherwise must be prepared for a new wave of police arrogance in the coming days ahead.