Kota Samarahan cops under fire over abuse claims
| SAT, 31 JUL 2010 14:30 | By Joseph Tawie |
KOTA SAMARAHAN: Reports of police brutality came to fore in two separate instances involving a teenager and a mother in Sarawak recently.
In the first case a teenager was dragged from his home in Kampung Merdang, Lumut, Muara Tuang at midnight and taken to the police station where he was physically assaulted for allegedly threatening a girl.
A bewildered 17-year-old Tidiwin anak Cheuan said at 12.30am on July 27 police took him to the Kota Samarahan police station where a senior officer kicked at his shin and the left side of his ear and slapped him hard twice, leaving him in deep pain.
Tidiwin said police informed him that he was arrested over a report made by his twin-brother’s girlfriend. The girl had allegedly said that Tidiwin had threatened.
When asked by the police officer, Tidiwin denied making any threats. But the police did not believe him and continued to assault him.
“They wanted me to admit that I had threatened her. But how can I admit as I never made a threatening statement. I only told her to resolve her problem amicably,” said Tidiwin.
Tidiwin said he was locked up by the police for 18 hours until 6.30pm on 28 July without being produced to court.
His father was only able to pick him up from the police station at 7pm. Later that night with the help of a neighbour his father took him to the emergency department of the Sarawak general hospital.
Tidiwin suffered from shooting pains in his ear and his leg until today. He has also since developed a hearing problem.
Tidiwin attempted to lodge a police report on the brutality but the recording officer was the same policeman who had hit him.Fearing further abuse, he took the long ride to Kuching and lodged the report at the police headquarters.
Tidiwin’s family have sought legal advice and are seeking to bring the matter to Suhakam’s attention.
Trigger-happy cops
Meanwhile also in Kota Samarahan, another case came to the attention of Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen.
A mother, her son and a worker had approached Chong, alleging that a group of detectives from the Kota Samarahan police station had aimed fire arms at them on July 27.
The mother, Chong Ngian Lan, son Chin Kheng Fui, 20, and their worker Ang Boon Chin 27, had sought the Sarawak DAP secretary’s advise.
Chong advised them to lodge a police report against the detectives.
According to their complaint, several plainclothed police officers pointed their guns at them when they carried out raid at 7.30pm on July 27 at an outlet here.The complainant alleged that the officers did not identify themselves.
They said the police officers pulled them out from their vehicles and pointed a gun at their heads.
Commenting on this assault, Chong said said that there were several reports of trigger-happy police officers shooting suspects.
“Why did the police act with such force? Why did they threaten to shoot at point-blank range? What was the information that the police received to justify them to act in such a manner?"Chong asked. - Free Malaysia Today
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