Finger-pointing, accusations of spying in by-election
Political parties from both the ruling coalition and the opposition front are accusing each other of being responsible for sending nine people, eight of whom are university students, to the Barisan Nasional Indera Kayangan operations centre.
While PAS secretary-general Nasharudin Mat Isa today denied responsibility that the party had anything to do with the affair, the person in charge of the BN operations centre said that one of the nine admitted connections with the Muslim opposition party.
"Let BN tell us who is the so-called PAS leader involved and let them name the students so that we can make our investigations," challenged Nasharudin when contacted today.
He added that the allegations were part of a smear campaign to discredit PAS.
However, the poll worker in charge of the Taman Perlis election centre, where the incident took place last Saturday, said one of those caught trespassing had confided support for PAS.
"She said she worked for PAS, and that PAS was the best," said the BN worker, who requested anonymity.
The source said workers at the centre became suspicious when several unidentified people in the premises asked for paint brushes.
"We later found some posters painted over and turned the wrong way," said the source.
Members-only meeting
The source added that these people had entered the premises unnoticed as a large number of people were also present to attend a small members-only conference held sometime after 10pm on Saturday night.
The source also conceded that some of those unidentified persons were actually asked by other election workers to assist in putting up posters.
"Some of our members did not know that they (those later detained) were not supposed to be present," the source said, adding that 'No Entry' signs have been posted at entrances to the centre.
At least one Keadilan leader was also seen at the police station after the nine had been detained for questioning by police.
Perlis district police chief Din Ahmad said Keadilan supreme council member N Gobalakrishnan was at the police station to see the students.
"He could have been there in sympathy for the students," he said when asked why Gobalakrishnan was there.
However, Gobalakrishnan refused to comment when contacted. He added that he would not speak to the press for the next 10 days leading up to the by-election.
Meanwhile, a person manning the Keadilan election centre at Kangar said Gobalakrishnan was at the Kangar police station with another party supporter as friends of some of those detained.
"He was there to put pressure on the police to release those detained," said the source over the telephone.
Vague accounts
Adding to the confusion, some students involved in the incident have provided vague accounts of the night's events.
One of the students informed malaysiakini that several of those implicated were under the impression that the meeting at the BN campaign premises was open to the public.
He maintained that four of the six male students were later asked by a BN election worker to staple and hang posters.
The other two male students were stopped for questioning by police outside the campaign premises and later held for failing to carry identity cards, said the student who declined to be named.
The student however denied knowing the three women who were arrested on the same night.
He claimed that the four were threatened and intimidated by the election workers into admitting that they were opposition supporters.
"All of us were threatened and at least one of us was slapped," said the student, adding that he also heard calls for them to be "beaten" before being handed over to the police.
However, the BN campaign worker told malaysiakini that the students were not beaten.
"It wasn't so much as a slap but we did 'grip' their faces," the worker added.
According to the student, the four withdrew their 'confessions', which they claimed were made under duress, at the police station.
Pending investigation
District police chief Din Ahmad told malaysiakini that no records were made with regard to the students' political affiliations in police statements.
He added that the students have not been charged with any offences pending police investigation.
"We will send a report to the higher authorities concerned," said Din. However, he declined to name the 'authorities' adding only that it would be related to "legal matters".
The students involved have been asked to report back to Kangar on Jan 21, he added.
Nine individuals eight students and a housewife were arrested for allegedly trespassing into a BN by-election operations centre in Indera Kayangan last Saturday.
The students are from Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Kolej Universiti Teknologi Tun Hussein Onn.
They were accused of 'spying' for the opposition by Perlis Menteri Besar Shahidan Kassim, who is also the BN elections chairperson.
While PAS secretary-general Nasharudin Mat Isa today denied responsibility that the party had anything to do with the affair, the person in charge of the BN operations centre said that one of the nine admitted connections with the Muslim opposition party.
"Let BN tell us who is the so-called PAS leader involved and let them name the students so that we can make our investigations," challenged Nasharudin when contacted today.
He added that the allegations were part of a smear campaign to discredit PAS.
However, the poll worker in charge of the Taman Perlis election centre, where the incident took place last Saturday, said one of those caught trespassing had confided support for PAS.
"She said she worked for PAS, and that PAS was the best," said the BN worker, who requested anonymity.
The source said workers at the centre became suspicious when several unidentified people in the premises asked for paint brushes.
"We later found some posters painted over and turned the wrong way," said the source.
Members-only meeting
The source added that these people had entered the premises unnoticed as a large number of people were also present to attend a small members-only conference held sometime after 10pm on Saturday night.
The source also conceded that some of those unidentified persons were actually asked by other election workers to assist in putting up posters.
"Some of our members did not know that they (those later detained) were not supposed to be present," the source said, adding that 'No Entry' signs have been posted at entrances to the centre.
At least one Keadilan leader was also seen at the police station after the nine had been detained for questioning by police.
Perlis district police chief Din Ahmad said Keadilan supreme council member N Gobalakrishnan was at the police station to see the students.
"He could have been there in sympathy for the students," he said when asked why Gobalakrishnan was there.
However, Gobalakrishnan refused to comment when contacted. He added that he would not speak to the press for the next 10 days leading up to the by-election.
Meanwhile, a person manning the Keadilan election centre at Kangar said Gobalakrishnan was at the Kangar police station with another party supporter as friends of some of those detained.
"He was there to put pressure on the police to release those detained," said the source over the telephone.
Vague accounts
Adding to the confusion, some students involved in the incident have provided vague accounts of the night's events.
One of the students informed malaysiakini that several of those implicated were under the impression that the meeting at the BN campaign premises was open to the public.
He maintained that four of the six male students were later asked by a BN election worker to staple and hang posters.
The other two male students were stopped for questioning by police outside the campaign premises and later held for failing to carry identity cards, said the student who declined to be named.
The student however denied knowing the three women who were arrested on the same night.
He claimed that the four were threatened and intimidated by the election workers into admitting that they were opposition supporters.
"All of us were threatened and at least one of us was slapped," said the student, adding that he also heard calls for them to be "beaten" before being handed over to the police.
However, the BN campaign worker told malaysiakini that the students were not beaten.
"It wasn't so much as a slap but we did 'grip' their faces," the worker added.
According to the student, the four withdrew their 'confessions', which they claimed were made under duress, at the police station.
Pending investigation
District police chief Din Ahmad told malaysiakini that no records were made with regard to the students' political affiliations in police statements.
He added that the students have not been charged with any offences pending police investigation.
"We will send a report to the higher authorities concerned," said Din. However, he declined to name the 'authorities' adding only that it would be related to "legal matters".
The students involved have been asked to report back to Kangar on Jan 21, he added.
Nine individuals eight students and a housewife were arrested for allegedly trespassing into a BN by-election operations centre in Indera Kayangan last Saturday.
The students are from Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Kolej Universiti Teknologi Tun Hussein Onn.
They were accused of 'spying' for the opposition by Perlis Menteri Besar Shahidan Kassim, who is also the BN elections chairperson.
The Indera Kayangan by-election on Jan 19 will see MCA Perlis Wanita chief Oui Ah Lan (far left) taking on a Keadilan candidate Khoo Yang Chong (left), who is the executive secretary of the Chinese Kwang Tung Association.
The seat fell vacant following the recent death of incumbent Khor Tiang Lee who was Perlis MCA chief.
