PARTI Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) would like to thank our supporters and legal team for their hardwork in the last one day which ensured the release of all the eight detained farmers and PSM activists.
We also thank the court for rightfully denying the remand requested by the police. We consider the arrest of the eight as “illegal” and highhanded.
Those affected were four farmers from Petani Chepor Impian, Liew Kook Soon, Liew Yu Lim, Liew Yu Ming dan Liew Yu Tsong while the four PSM activists from the Sg Siput branch and Chemor Branch were Agastin Mariasoosai, Kesavan Parwathy, S.Nagenteran and Kavitha Munisamy.
But the battle is not over. The blatant misuse of the police powers cannot be washed away or swept under the carpet. The Perak Police from the OCS, OCPD and right up to the police chief needs to be investigated by an independent body. The Perak police force need to redeem its tainted image after this shameful incident at the Cheras Impian farming land.
The following question needs to be answered:
- Why were the police not ensuring peace but protecting the developer’s excavator? Who was paying them to do the job?
- The developer’s lawyer has already written a letter stating that if the farmers do not vacate the land, they will take them to the court. So, why did the police jump the gun by helping the developer instead of going through the court process? Which part of the Police Act defines that as police work?
- Why did the police assist the private developer who does not have a court order? The police chief OCPD and OCS alleged that the farmers and activists were obstructing police work. When did protecting a private developer, who has no court order, became official police work?
- The police say, in their remand request, that the eight people were trespassing. The police used Section 447 which makes criminal trespass as offence in the Penal Code. Normally, if someone trespasses a private land, the owner can invoke civil trespass laws. Here, why did the police go overboard in classifying this case under criminal trespass? Why are they assisting the developer using taxpayers’ money?
- In the court today, the police officers were complaining to the court that the farmers do not want to take compensation, claimed they did not want to move out in spite of getting letters from the developers. When did police officers became “negotiators and spokesperson” for the developer? This is why the Magistrate and the Registrar at the Ipoh court threw this case out.
- When PSM and SUARAM lodged a report at the Bukit Aman Standards Compliance Department (JIPS) this morning, we were shocked to learn that the Perak police have classified the earlier six police reports lodged by those arrested as ROA (Refer to Other Agency). How come when the developer lodged a police report, they came under criminal investigation but when farmers and commoners do so, it gets classified under ROA?
And the list goes on. In any case, the Perak police must be relieved of their duties so that an independent body can investigate what transpired.
The crux of this matter is, what is the police’s interest in the land deal? – April 14, 2022
S Arutchelvan is the deputy chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
