I had to go to the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on the night of Oct 1, Tuesday, for a private business meeting. What I saw made me realise why the Malaysian police is held in such low esteem by many members of the public.

When I arrived at 7.10pm, I was shocked to find police had swarmed the place. The usually sedate and friendly atmosphere of the community hall turned siege-like. I first thought that some Osama bin Laden followers had holed out there. Later, I learnt the fuss was all over a meeting planned by activists to discuss something about the ISA.

I saw them — respectable men and women — outside the locked entrance gate, denied admission as I was. They certainly did not look like they were going to explode into violent behaviour, even though they were defiant of the police present there.

After a while, I saw Suaram director Dr Kua Kia Soong and PRM vice president R Sivarasa approaching the gate, apparently with the intention of reasoning with the police officers for entry. A small curious crowd followed them. It was then that a contingent of about 15 FRU personnel was assembled about five metres away at the entrance.

At first, as individuals, they looked ill at ease under the public glare. But they soon took on the persona of fighting men with intimidating helmets, shields and truncheons, bent on using force to suppress anybody in their path.

These FRU people then marched down to the gate and lined up against the crowd before rushing at them to drive them away from the gate. As I stepped aside just in time to avoid the stumbling, falling bodies, I heard one police officer shouting an admonition, " Cakap pun tak mau dengarkah ?" (We've told you off and you still don't want to listen?).

Despite the tension and the confusion, I could not help sniggering at the farcical, infantile remark. Fortunately, Kua and Siva were not hurt. The incident ended when Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail arrived at 8.50pm, and the whole crowd adjourned to her house for the meeting.

I am sure there are more violent crimes in Kuala Lumpur which I have been fortunate not to have witnessed in my 20 years of living here. It is ironical that my first taste of real violence here has to come from those men in blue who are supposed to fight crimes!

My function was cancelled. So were a number of meetings arranged to be held by other groups at the hall that night. The famous Chinese restaurant at the rear of the hall must have lost its income for the night, since no customer could get through the tight police cordon.

I do not think the police officers who made the decision to occupy the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall by unreasonable force that night cared two hoots about the people's safety. Never mind that their show of force was a great waste of tax-payers' money and public resources over a harmless meeting.

The forced entry and occupation of the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall can also be seen as an insult against the Chinese community. The hall is a popular community centre built long ago to provide facilities to anybody who cares to pay a nominal rental fee to use them. It is more meaningful and utilised than many government-built community halls.

It is truly both a manifestation and a symbol of the community spirit of the Chinese in Kuala Lumpur. Many people must have donated towards its construction and maintenance. How would they feel to see their prized heritage invaded, occupied and abused by the police with wanton disregard for the rights of private property and the sentiments of the local community?

The Police Act may have given the police the legal right to do whatever they did, but does it mean that the police can exercise that right without justification or good reason? The committee in charge of the Assembly Hall should sue the police. It is their duty to do so, to defend the integrity and dignity of the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.