I was one of the participants of the Save Our School Walkathon organised by DAP last Sunday ([#1]Walkathon participants treated like 'criminals'[/#], Feb 20). I took part because I thought I had the right to give moral support to the campaign to save SRJK (C) Damansara in Petaling Jaya. I was lucky that I escaped police arrest, unlike the 46 participants who did not.

However, I have to say that most of the policemen were not in uniform and acted like louts. I was asked to explain why I was wearing the campaign T-shirt. Then I was asked to go home, the alternative being a police truck waiting in front of Jalan Tun Sambathan in Kuala Lumpur.

My walkathon partner was a forty-something woman. She was very scared and did not know what she should do.

Some of the female participants even had to take off their campaign T-shirts and leave them with the police for 'evidence'.

The police were not in the least 'mesra' as proudly announced in their slogan. They spoke harshly to us, eg. "Kau mahu bersurai, atau mahu masuk lokap. Tak mau bersurai? Tengok gari atas tangan aku? (Do you want to disperse or go to jail? You don't want to disperse? See the handcuffs in my hand?)

How can our royal police officer who have undergone three years of training in a professional course speak such rude words to the tax-paying public?