I regret and condemn the heavy-handed way in which I was arrested on the night of the 22nd of February 2015.
At around 8:30 PM on the date in question, my driver informed me that around 10 plainclothes policemen were lurking around my home. According to my neighbours, they had arrived since three hours before.
They only identified themselves to my driver and personal assistant outside my house at around 9:30 PM, requesting that I come down.
The police officers informed me that I was being arrested under Section 143 of the Penal Code, i.e. for unlawful assembly with criminal intent.
Adam Adli and Fariz Musa were also held under a similar charge a day earlier.
I find the police’s actions in my case extremely perplexing.
As I mentioned to the media on the 21st of February, I was willing to cooperate with the police provided that they adhered to the proper procedures.
Instead, I was taken into custody in an unmarked police car accompanied by another car and followed by my wife and staff.
I was initially told that I would be brought to Dang Wangi police station but were midway the Arresting Officer was instructed to bring me to Jinjang instead.
At the station, the Investigating Officer took my statement regarding the 21st of February #KitaLawan gathering at around midnight.
I was then released on police bail at 2:00 AM.
I cannot understand why the police had to resort to such dramatic gestures just to take a statement from me, especially after I had indicated that I would cooperate with them.
Indeed, I have reason to believe that Special Branch officers had followed me following the gathering on the 21st of February, around the Sogo shopping mall including I prayed in the surau there and while I was having a meal at the Pertama Complex.
The police also had ample time to question me when I prayed that night in the Jinjang police station surau as well as afterwards during the solidarity program for Adam and Fariz, but chose not to.
This begs the question as to why the police had to wait until the 22nd of February to obtain my statement?
Why did they find it necessary to come to my home in the middle of the night while my young child was asleep?
As an elected representative; there is absolutely no chance that I would abscond for any reason.
Why did they need to take my statement at midnight if they had no intention of detaining me?
I am not a violent criminal. The charges against me are political and hence ought to be treated as such.
All Malaysians can see the manifest injustice of this situation when elected legislators and activists like Rafizi Ramli, Nga Kor Ming, S. Arutchelvan, Adam Adli, Fariz Musa and Laurence Jeyaraj are hauled up simply because they questioned the verdict against Anwar Ibrahim, while Khairy Jamlauddin and Shafee Abdullah are allowed to carry on with their disgraceful “roadshow.”
This is a sign of how fearful UMNO-BN has become over the growing public disdain for its behaviour.
Malaysians should not be cowed by such scare tactics. Our actions against the growing injustice in this country are within our rights in the Federal Constitution.
I urge all who can to attend the #KitaLawan gathering on the 28th of February and its climax on the 7th of March, when we will peacefully make a stand for freedom, justice and civil liberties.
While UMNO-BN is afraid, the people are not. The government is afraid of the people, and we will continue to prove to them that we are not. As Anwar said, we will never surrender.
#KitaLawan #BebasAnwar #March2Freedom
