'Death of democracy' protesters off the hook
S Pathmawathy and Wong Pheak ZernPublished: Jun 2, 2009 4:02 AM | Updated: Jun 3, 2009 2:16 AM
Twelve demonstrators, including a member of Parliament and state assembly representative, were let off the hook by the police today after being arrested on May 19 for taking part in a candlelight vigil.
Twelve demonstrators, including a member of Parliament and state assembly representative, were let off the hook by the police today after being arrested on May 19 for taking part in a candlelight vigil.
Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching and Teratai state assemblyperson Jenice Lee were arrested along with seven party workers at the vigil held outside DAP MP Teresa Kok's office in Seputeh.
The vigil was organised to mark the 'death of democracy' in Perak and all those present wore black.
The protesters, who were released on police bail after being detained for seven hours, were told to report back to the Brickfileds police headquarters today.
When they went there at about 10am, the police told them that they would not be charged.
"The police decided to clear all charges against us, and there is no need for us to be on bail or come back to report in future," Teo told reporters later.
"The arrest on May 19 was without legal basis... with over 100 police personnel surrounding us that night, people would think that whoever was caught must have committed serious crimes.
"The arrests was clearly an abuse of power by the police as there was no harm caused to society by our gathering," she said.
Moreover, Teo added that the arrest was a "ridiculous attempt" as the cops were not charging them for taking part in an illegal assembly.
'We are not ashamed'
Meanwhile, Lee said the police did not explain the reason to why no charges were levelled against them.
"I do not think we have done anything wrong... carrying candles is just a small thing, was it necessary for the authorities to deploy so many police personnel to arrest us?" she asked.
"What we did was for a good cause, we are fighting for democracy, justice and freedom.
"If the authorities use their human resources wisely and reassign these police personnel to every residential area for patrol, I am sure all of us can have a good night’s sleep, without having to worry about break-ins or robberies," she added.
However, Lee said that they were happy that the "saga ended here.”
Furthermore, she reminded supporters that "although the cops had treated us worse than terrorists, we should not be ashamed of what we have done because it was for a good cause."
Despite being cleared for holding the gathering in Seputeh, the same group and several others have to report back to the Ampang district police headquarters on June 12 with regards to another vigil held on May 21 at Lee's service centre in Teratai.
Teo, Lee and several others will also have to report back to the Ipoh district police headquarters in connection with a demonstration held outside the Perak state assembly on May 7.
VIDEO l 5 mins
Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching and Teratai state assemblyperson Jenice Lee were arrested along with seven party workers at the vigil held outside DAP MP Teresa Kok's office in Seputeh.The vigil was organised to mark the 'death of democracy' in Perak and all those present wore black.
The protesters, who were released on police bail after being detained for seven hours, were told to report back to the Brickfileds police headquarters today.
When they went there at about 10am, the police told them that they would not be charged.
"The police decided to clear all charges against us, and there is no need for us to be on bail or come back to report in future," Teo told reporters later. "The arrest on May 19 was without legal basis... with over 100 police personnel surrounding us that night, people would think that whoever was caught must have committed serious crimes.
"The arrests was clearly an abuse of power by the police as there was no harm caused to society by our gathering," she said.
Moreover, Teo added that the arrest was a "ridiculous attempt" as the cops were not charging them for taking part in an illegal assembly.
'We are not ashamed'
Meanwhile, Lee said the police did not explain the reason to why no charges were levelled against them.
"I do not think we have done anything wrong... carrying candles is just a small thing, was it necessary for the authorities to deploy so many police personnel to arrest us?" she asked. "What we did was for a good cause, we are fighting for democracy, justice and freedom.
"If the authorities use their human resources wisely and reassign these police personnel to every residential area for patrol, I am sure all of us can have a good night’s sleep, without having to worry about break-ins or robberies," she added.
However, Lee said that they were happy that the "saga ended here.”
Furthermore, she reminded supporters that "although the cops had treated us worse than terrorists, we should not be ashamed of what we have done because it was for a good cause."
Despite being cleared for holding the gathering in Seputeh, the same group and several others have to report back to the Ampang district police headquarters on June 12 with regards to another vigil held on May 21 at Lee's service centre in Teratai.
Teo, Lee and several others will also have to report back to the Ipoh district police headquarters in connection with a demonstration held outside the Perak state assembly on May 7.
VIDEO l 5 mins
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