Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said all PPS personnel, including seven women, were held at 10.15am in Padang Kota here to assist investigations under Section 41 of the Societies Act for not registering with RoS.
“Police started taking action against PPS personnel after they were adamant in carrying out their activities despite my prior warning that it is an illegal organisation that has been banned and all activities should cease immediately.
“They insisted on carrying their activities and deliberately wanted to challenge the country’s law and dared police to take action… they acted like gangsters,” he said when contacted by Bernama here today.
On Tuesday, Khalid had issued a statement that PPS was considered an illegal organisation that violated Section 41 of the Societies Act for not being registered with RoS.
Khalid said PPS should suspend all activities and write to RoS to seek clarification via the legal channel.
He said police had acted according to the law and would investigate and refer the case to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for further action.
He also told PPS leaders, including the Penang state exco member linked to PPS to go to any police station to assist investigations.
“If they do not turn up, police will be going to their houses to look for them.”
In another development, a group of lawyers comprising Ramkarpal Singh, R.S.N Rayer, Cheah Ka Peng and Soon Lip Chee, when met outside the Northeast district police headquarters, said they were prepared to represent all 154 PPS personnel arrested this morning.
“We have 10 lawyers to assist them (PPS personnel), we are sad over the incident today,” said Rayer.
Meanwhile, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state government was ready to face any charge from the Royal Malaysian Police on the legitimacy of the Penang Voluntary Patrol Squad (PPS).
Lim said the state government did not have any problem with the police, but left it to the court to determine the legitimacy of the PPS.
“The state is taking full responsibility for the PPS and we will respect the law if the court makes a decision.
“We do not have any problem with the police, we’re just not satisfied with the statement made by the Inspector-General which is not in accordance with the law,” he told reporters after visiting the 154 PPS members arrested here today.
Earlier, about 154 members of the PPS were arrested by police after joining the Independence Day parade at the Esplanade here.
-The Rakyat Post -
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