Two union leaders today condemned the arrest of 17 people who participated in a May Day march held to highlight the plight of workers in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

National Union of Transport Equipment and Allied Industry Workers executive secretary Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud said the arrests had taken the labour movement 116 years backward, when the Workers Day celebration had first started.

He said all workers should be allowed to participate in the celebration actively in any way they deem fit since May Day was an important event for workers worldwide.

In Europe, many workers go to the street to express their stand and opinion on this day. This thing is not something unusual, he told malaysiakini today.

Also criticising the arrests was Malaysian Trades Union Congress secretary-general G Rajasekaran.

The union leader said MTUC was saddened by the arrests, detention and brutal force used by the police to disrupt the gatherings in Kuala Lumpur and Pasir Gudang in Johor.

He said such action was not only unnecessary but had also sullied the spirit of May Day.

It is most unfortunate that even a peaceful congregation on a memorable day is obstructed. Such action will give the false impression that we are in a police state, he said in a press statement.

Rajasekaran also urged the Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai to adopt greater restraint in the future.

Illegal assembly

Yesterday, police detained 17 people, including two women, who participated in a march from Jalan Chow Kit to the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC).

Among those detained were Parti Sosialis Malaysia pro tem president Dr Nasir Mohd Hashim, vice-president Dr D Jeyakumar and human rights organisation Suaram coordinator S Arutchelvan.

The police said those detained were involved in an illegal assembly and also claimed that the demonstrators had attacked a policeman.

However, the demonstrators have denied this charge and instead claimed that the police had manhandled them.

In Pasir Gudang, PAS Youth chief Hanifah Maidin was arrested when the police tried to disperse a crowd at the partys workers day rally in Seri Alam.

According to the police, Hanifah was detained under section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing a public servant from discharging his duty.

Meanwhile, when asked to comment on MTUC president Zainal Rampaks statement yesterday that the congress did not condone the march, Syed Shahir said each labour movement had its own way of celebrating May Day as long as it does not contravene the Federal Constitution.

The main issue is democracy and it looks like the police has been given a lot of powers to act arbitrarily, he said.

However, Rajasekaran declined to comment on Zainals statement beyond saying, I do not wish to state whether or not I agree with him (Zainal).