KUALA LUMPUR: The flash mob, held as a prelude to the Black 505 rally, was short-lived as 15 participants were arrested barely an hour after it started.
Among those arrested were Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM ) propaganda director Edy Noor Reduan and a 10-year-old boy.
Dang Wang OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Ahmad said the participants were arrested for disrupting the peace along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman near Sogo at about 2.50pm Saturday.
“We had warned them to disperse but they refused to do so. They have been detained to facilitate investigations,” he said when contacted Saturday.
The fifteen were released six hours later after their statements were taken.
“They were arrested in violation of Section 9 (5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.
“We had no plans to hold them overnight, ” he said when contacted.
Batu MP Tuan Chua later went to the DangWangi district police headquarters, urging the release of flash mob participants
Earlier, the flash mob consisting of SAMM and NGOs gathered outside Sogo to urge people to join the June 22 really to be held at Padang Merbok.
“We want to remind the people to participate in the rally to protest the recent election result.
“We have the right to protest. We do not want to cause trouble we just want to express our dissatisfaction,” said Edy before he was picked up by police.
Prior to their detention, the flash mob kicked off with participants singing songs, including “Belaian Jiwa” with accompanied by a guitarist.
They also chanted slogans such as hidup rakyat’ and undur SPR’ while holding up placards and distributing fliers about the Black 505 rally on June 22. As they were about to be arrested, the participants shouted Hidup Rakyat before being whisked away in the Black Maria.
Among others seen at the police station were student activist Adam Adli and other pro opposition supporters.
Suaram says the arrested were Edy Noor, Shariful Azmir Mustafa, Abdul Aziz, Anwar Yaacob, Sky Lau Tock Sang, Gerald Tang, Safwan Shamsuddin, Zanina Mohamed, Abdul Muqit, Ekhsan Bukharee, Ibrahim Babu, Muhamad Al Fateh, Sulaiman Harun, Muhd Akmal Fizani, 10, and Roslee Mohd Shariff.
BY FARIK ZOLKEPLI, YUEN MEIKENG AND M. KUMAR