Four Occupy Dataran activists have been arrested while a student leader claims that the cash collected from supporters has been stolen.
KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) enforcement officers detained three Occupy Dataran activists while another was held by an unidentified plainclothes officer.
A student leader also claimed that the DBKL officers had assaulted them and “stole” the cash donated by supporters.
Those arrested were taken to the Dang Wangi district police station. They were identified as activist Saiful, Ekhsan Bukhari from student group Aksi Mahasiswa Peduli, Muhammad Hafiz and Muhammad Karim Abdullah.
Both Ekhsan and Hafiz are students of University Selangor (Unisel).
They were part of a group who formed a human chain to protect their mini-tents from being confiscated.
Pandemonium erupted when DBKL moved in to take away the mini-tents.
“They were punched and kicked by DBKL people. They also stole the money collected from supporters,” claimed Khalid Ismat of Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia.
Earlier, the Occupy Dataran activists set up three mini-tents to protect their food supply.
DBKL enforcement officer Corporal Mazlan Sulaiman instructed the activists to dismantle the mini-tents.
“You don’t need the police. I can instruct the removal,” he said.
Malaysia Bangkit chairman Mohd Syahid Zaini however disagreed. “We want a writtten notice. They only gave us an oral instruction,” he said.
Police reports lodged
Meanwhile lawyers acting for the Dataran occupier lodged several police reports against DBKL enforcement officers who hauled up the activists earlier today
The lawyers – Afiq Mohd Noor, Murnie Hidayah Anuar and Puspawati Rosman – said the reports stated that the DBKL personnel had provoked the activists.
“They are wrongly claiming that the activists were prohibiting them from carrying out their duties,” said Afiq.
He also told FMT that the police have not decided to press charges against the four who were hauled up at noon.
By K Pragalath | April 24, 2012
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