updated version Selangor's deputy chief police officer was today interrogated by a human rights commissioner for his handling of the Keadilan-sponsored Nov 5 "100,000 People's Gathering".

SAC (I) Johar Che Din, a police witness in the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) inquiry investigating into allegations of police brutality during the opposition rally, was grilled by commissioner Mehrun Siraj on whether the police had given the participants enough time to disperse.

"We told the people there to disperse, but we were met with resistance, and they hurled verbal abuses and challenged the police. The situation was becoming tense," Johar said in reply.

Shown a videotape which revealed the organisers trying to disperse the crowd but were fired at with chemical-laced water cannons from police trucks anyway, Johar said, "How do you know he was the chairperson of the organising committee trying to disperse the crowd? Everybody there could have been the chairperson.

"We have already given them enough notice. The water cannon firing was part of an ongoing operation.

Johar also hinted that the video footage could have been staged.

"Maybe since they (the participants) knew we were there, they purposely came near us so that pictures could be taken and used against us.

"They had no right to be there in the first place as they disregarded law and order. We told them to disperse even though we are not required to do.

"We had already given them the notice that the assembly was illegal, they were threatening national security and took advantage of the troubled times Southeast Asia was facing to create trouble," added Johar.

One-minute warning

The commission was also shown a video recorded by the police with the time showing 2.21pm on Nov 5. The video depicted an officer on a red FRU water-cannon truck warning the crowd to "disperse immediately, if not we will use force" three times, before it started firing at the crowd at 2.22pm, as clocked by the video camera's timer.

Mehrun also asked if it was true that members of the police force had sprayed chemical irritants into the eyes of witness Saidin Wateh while he was detained in a truck.

Johar: It is not true we used tear gas on them in the trucks. If I had found out who the officer was, I would have reprimanded and charged him.

Mehrun: Are you saying that this incident had actually occurred?

Johar: I don't know, but if there was such an incident, I would have taken action.

When asked if it true that those detained had been placed in police trucks for more than four hours, Johar also denied the allegations.

"We never detained them in the trucks. Sometimes those in the truck wait for even less than half an hour.

"It could have taken a little longer that day because the police trucks faced traffic jam on the way to our temporary headquarters in SM Jalan Kebun. We had to take down their particulars and wait for trucks to transport them back to the police stations," Johar said.

He also told the inquiry that injured detainees were given medical attention by members of St John's ambulance service, and all were given a surau to pray.

"It was much better to have been in the trucks than to demonstrate out there in the hot sun facing the water cannons," he said.

Johar added that the situation on that day was very tense, and there had even been instances of police officers being pelted with projectiles.

"We were also thinking of complaining to Suhakam," he added.

Numerous complaints

Meanwhile, another police witness, Selangor Special Branch chief SAC (II) Mohd Lazim Ahmad, told the inquiry that he had received numerous complaints from the residents of Jalan Kebun, especially its Committee for Village Development and Security (CVDS).

"I was very worried that the security and the peace of the state would be disturbed. We had received a letter from the local 4B Youth Movement on Oct 3 that said 'it would not be responsible if anything untoward should happen stemming from the unhappiness that is felt among the youths'.

"I also received letters from the CVDS stating that it was worried if fights should break out or if the gathering should disturb the peace," Lazim said.

He also told the commission of posters being put up by residents saying, "We love peace, Jalan Kebun is not the place for illegal activities, respect our peace".

The inquiry will commence tomorrow at 2.30pm at Suhakam headquarters in Menara Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur. Scheduled to appear tomorrow as witness is Klang police chief Karn Kam Peng.