The Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) asked the police to explain their actions in arresting 59 members of the Marginalised People's Network (JERIT) who took part in a cycling campaign earlier this month.
Suhakam felt it was improper for the police operation which resulted in the detention of 28 teenagers. Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam, the commissioner for Suhakam, said JERIT and its members had every right to take part in the cycling campaign as the issues they were fighting for are current national issues which many parties had been championing for over the years.
The issues that JERIT was voicing concerns about are minimal wages, the abolishment of the Internal Security Act, adequate housing for the poor, price controls, a halt to privatising basic amenities and for the restoration of local council elections.
The police then had threatened to take action against the campaign organisers for using minors and parents for allowing their children to take part in it. The participation of the minors should not have been a problem as they all had written consent from their parents. What right have the police in determining what can and cannot for other people's children to take part in especially when it was a permitted and peaceful campaign. No laws were broken so what jurisdiction does the police have. Bloody blatant abuse of power is what it is.
After an overnight detention in the Rawang police station, some minors complained of intimidations by the police and a few were still traumatised from the experience. Suhakam is now waiting for the response from the police before deciding whether to launch a full public inquiry and pursue this matter further.
To all politicians and ministers.....
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