Pictures: 1,667 arrested for taking part in M'sia rallies
Malaysian police take away an arrested protester during a mass rally calling for electoral reforms in Kuala Lumpur on July 9 2011. -- PHOTO: AFP
KUALA LUMPUR - A TOTAL of 1,667 people were arrested for taking part in various rallies in the city, said Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar.
He said all those arrested, including 151 women and 16 children, were taken to the police training centre (Pulapol) in Jalan Semarak where they were fed and given medical treatment.
'I was told that there are allegations of high-handedness and police brutality by certain people. I urge those making such allegations to lodge reports and we will act against any policeman if these were found to be true,' he said. By 11pm, all those detained were released.
Besides Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, those picked up included PKR's Gombak MP Azmin Ali, Subang MP R. Sivarasa and Batu MP Tian Chua, and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, his deputy Mohamad Sabu and vice-presidents Mahfuz Omar and Salahuddin Ayub.
Inspector-General Ismail also attributed the smooth crowd control to systematic and professional policing, adding that the number this time was not as large as the gathering for the 2007 Bersih rally due to the steps taken.
'We used very minimum amount of tear gas to disperse the crowd,' he said, adding that although the demonstrators started gathering at around 9am, their numbers only grew by 2pm. Inspector-General Ismail also said roadblocks mounted by the police were lifted by 7pm. He also denied allegations that the police team had fired tear gas into the Tung Shin Hospital grounds to disperse crowds gathered there. -- THE STAR/ANN
