EO powers were anti-terror, not anti-crime, say lawyers

PETALING JAYA, July 23 — Efforts to resurrect preventive detention from the Emergency Ordinance (EO) to address a purported spike in crime are misplaced, according to lawyers who point out that the repealed law was introduced to combat communist insurgents rather than common criminals. Repealed in 2011 as part of the Najib administration’s raft of…

Lock-up SOP ‘lacks enforcement’

PETALING JAYA (July 22, 2013): Enforcement of standard operating procedures (SOP) for officers manning police lock-ups is the key to curb detainee deaths. Human rights groups said today that the current SOP is more than adequate and that the lack of enforcement is the actual issue. They were commenting on a statement made by Inspector-General…

Black 505 rally: Pakatan MPs, student activists charged

KUALA LUMPUR: Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli, Seremban MP Anthony Loke Siew Fook and Pakatan Rakyat secretariat staff member Adib Ishar were charged for using Padang Merbok as a venue for a rally without permission. They were charged at the Jalan Duta Session court for failing to obtain the consent of Kuala Lumpur City Hall as…

Blogger loses appeal, ordered to serve jail sentence

Blogger Amizudin Ahmat today failed in his attempt to set aside a three-month jail sentence for contempt. The Court of Appeal, in a unanimous decision, upheld the jail sentence after dismissing his appeal. Judge Datuk Zaharah Ibrahim, who led the three member-panel, said they were unable to find any error by the lower court in…

Stateless people case: Applicants, NRD urged to reach settlement

KUALA LUMPUR (July 17): A High Court judge has asked the National Registration Department (NRD) to try to reach a settlement with three stateless individuals who are demanding MyKads. Seventy-year-old Letchumy Suppiah and her daughthers Mala Kothandu, 45 and Sarojini Kothandu, 33 are seeking a court order to compel the NRD to issue them the…

Cop wanted for Dharmendran’s murder identified

After a month of public pressure to release details of the police officer wanted in connection with the murder of detainee N. Dharmendran, Kuala Lumpur police today released the suspect’s photograph and particulars on their Facebook page. The officer is identified as Inspector Hare Krishnan a/l K. Subramaniam (pic) from the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters…

Police acted unlawfully in arresting lawyers, activists, court rules

Malaysian police acted unlawfully in arresting six human rights lawyers and activists who took part in the Human Rights Day Walk in 2007, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled in a civil suit today. High Court judge Datuk John Louis O’Hara awarded each plaintiff RM10,000 in general damages. He also awarded costs of RM60,000. The…

`State govts must take immediate steps to amend Islamic laws’

PETALING JAYA (July 9, 2013): As the government withdrew the controversial Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 relating to the conversion of minors yesterday, the Bar Council called on the government to streamline federal and state laws on the matter. The point of contention with the bill is that it allows…

‘Stop harassing opposition leaders’

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR MP for Bayan Baru, Sim Tze Tzin today urged the police to focus on reducing crime rate instead of harassing the opposition politicians. He said this at a press conference outside the Sentul police station when he and student activist Adam Adli’s father, Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid were called in to give…

Evidence was suppressed in Kugan case, says judge

A High Court judge who held that the nation’s current Inspector-General of Police was responsible for the death of detainee A. Kugan, said there was also suppression of evidence during the trial. Datuk V.T. Singham, who retired last month, said such an action amounted to undermining the judicial authority and ability of the court from…

Family wants justice for Karuna’s death

Opposition MPs want answers from the home minister and inspector-general of police for the death of P.Karuna Nithi, who died in police custody on June 1, after he had surrendered for hitting his wife. Padang Serai MP N.Surendran told reporters at the Parliament lobby that the post mortem report revealed that the deceased had 61…

Rafizi gets stay order on BAFIA charges pending Federal Court appeal

PETALING JAYA, July 4 – PKR lawmaker Rafizi Ramli was granted temporary relief today from his charge of violating banking laws when the Court of Appeal agreed to put a pause on proceedings until he exhausts all legal options to strike out the case. PKR lawyer Latheefa Koya confirmed with The Malay Mail Online that…

Activists hauled up for questioning

KUALA LUMPUR: Keadilan Youth deputy information chief Rozan Azen Mat Rasip and Bersih 2.0 project officer Mandeep Singh were called up by the police this morning over their involvement in a peaceful protest last month. The duo showed up at the Sentul police station accompanied by two lawyers to have their statement recorded by the…

PKR’s Jayathas being investigated under Penal Code

KUALA LUMPUR (July 3): PKR human rights and legal bureau deputy chairman S Jayathas is being investigated after getting involved in a skirmish with police officers last month. He is being investigated under Section 353 of the Penal Code for using criminal force to deter a public servant from carrying out duties. Met at the…