A 28 year-old Malaysian man of Indian origin was allegedly detained under the 1969 Emergency (Public Order and Crime Prevention) Ordinance in Penang last Friday for purportedly being involved in a fight.

He was reportedly detained under section 3(i) of the Emergency Ordinance No. 5/69.

NONE Alleged detainee Vikneswaran Venugopal's father ( right ) said his son was nabbed in Market Street after meeting with a police officer at 3pm on Jun 11.

He met the officer, who is also of Malaysian Indian origin, after receiving a phone call from the latter requesting him to come for a face-to-face talk.

He was said to have been whisked away to the Tanjong Tokong police station, and then later transferred to the police headquarters in Pattani Road.

Yesterday, Vikneswaran, who is the sole breadwinner of the family, was allegedly sent to Bukit Aman at 12.30pm.

"Why is the EO being used against him? Shouldn't the police use the Penal Code to arrest him for fighting? Shouldn't he be investigated first for his crime before punishing him?" queried his father, Venugopal Krishnan, at a press conference held at the Hindu Sabha temple in Jalan Dato' Keramat yesterday.

NONE The concerned father was accompanied by about 10 members of his family and lawyer N. Gobalakrishnan ( right ), who is also Malaysian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Penang branch president.

EO used against suspected snatchers

Recently, police have been using the EO against suspected snatch thieves due to lack of evidence for their suspected involvement in 300 snatch theft cases reported in the Klang Valley.

Enacted in 1969 to deal with the May 13 riots allowing detention without trial, the Act is still in effect till today, much to the chagrin of human rights NGOs.

The government has defended the law, saying it will be reviewed in due time, although civil society groups have been consistently condemning it, calling it "a cruel and draconian" Act.

Meanwhile, Venugopal pleaded for his son to be charged in court or set free.

"We hope the police do not keep him for 59 days under the EO and then only decide to release him," Venugopal told reporters at the Hindu temple.

Venugopal, who is suffering from heart disease, said his son was the sole breadwinner of the family as he (the father) could no longer care for them due to his condition.

"They are destroying my family by arresting him in this manner," he said, sadly.

According to his dad, Vikneswaran has no previous criminal record and neither had he been involved in any civil case.

Venugopal said he believed that his son was a victim of slander by certain individuals.

"I deeply regret and I am very concerned about my son's future, I feel it has been jeopardised due to this arrest," he added.

hishamuddin hussein He related how his son was about to tie the knot soon and this arrest has undermined that joyous occasion.

"Is it fair to detain my son under the cruel Emergency Ordinance where he has to languish in jail for 60 days without any right to defend himself even though he is not wrong?" asked Venugopal.

"My whole family and I plead with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein ( left ), and Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan to consider this case carefully and help us to free my son."

[More to follow]