By Patrick Lee Free Malaysia Today
KUALA LUMPUR: The DAP has condemned the police and the MCA for not giving social activists leeway in Galas.
Four people from the social activist group Malaysians for Beng Hock, including Teoh Beng Hock’s sister, Teoh Lee Lan, were arrested on Sunday during the Galas by-election campaign.
The group arrived in Galas to seek justice for the death of Teoh, a DAP political aide.
They were picked up for distributing leaflets on custodial deaths and attempting to goad MCA officials into supporting the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Teoh’s death. “Why should the four be arrested? They were only making use of the by-election to get public support to get justice for Teoh,” Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang said at the Parliament lobby today.
“In the past, we’ve had social activists who’ve used by-elections to highlight issues. In Bukit Koman, you’ve had those who campaigned against gold mining. In other by-elections, you’ve had campaigns against the Internal Security Act.”
“It is a police officer who made a report, leading to the arrest of the four. But who instigated the police to make the arrests?” Lim asked, who believed that the MCA was behind it.
“It destroys the credibility of the MCA to prevent the public from legitimately presenting their views,” he said, adding that MCA should issue a public apology on its actions in Gua Musang.
The DAP strongman also asked all police investigations on the four be stopped immediately.
Lim said the four were also required to present themselves at the Gua Musang police station on Nov 15.