IGP IS LYING TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT YB NURUL IZZAH'S REMAND

PRESS STATEMENT

IGP IS LYING TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT YB NURUL IZZAH'S REMAND

I make this press statement in my capacity as counsel for YB Nurul Izzah assisting her in her attendance at IPD Dang Wangi  this afternoon commencing from about 2.15 pm yesterday Monday 16th March 2015

I have just read a press statement issued by the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Dato'Sri Khalid bin Abu Bakar at 10.30 pm yesterday attempting to explain what I consider to be his malicious and illegal arrest and detention of Nurul Izzah yesterday.

The IGP attempts to justify her remand in the Jinjang Lockup by saying "She will be released once her statement has been recorded".  He attempts to give the impression therefore that the police were unable to record her statement yesterday hence necessitating the remand. That impression he attempts to give is false and totally unbecoming of the head of the police force.

Nurul Izzah voluntarily attended at IPD Dang Wangi today at 2 pm to have 2 statements recorded - the first by one Insp Ridzuan in relation to a Kita Lawan gathering on 14th Feb and a second one in relation to the sedition investigation on her speech in Parliament last week which was being handled by one ASP Muniandy from Bukit Aman. I had been in sms communication with Mr Muniandy on her behalf yesterday morning and confirmed the arrangement. Upon arrival at IPD Dang Wangi, we met and spoke to Muniandy and confirmed that once Nurul Izzah had completed the statement to Insp Ridzuan, she would then have her statement recorded for the sedition act investigation handled by him.

Nurul Izzah completed her statement to Insp Ridzuan for the Kita Lawan gathering by 3 pm and we were ready to start the sedition investigation statement. Instead of recording her statement, ASP Muniandy then informed us that his instructions were to arrest her first, do her arrest documentation and then record her statement. When I asked if she would be released after that, he refused to commit himself, saying he would have to get instructions from his superiors in Bukit Aman.

However when the arrest documentation was completed ( arrest report, with Nurul Izzah being fingerprinted and photographed etc ) about 5 pm, when we asked about starting recording her statement, Muniandy now said that his instructions were to remand Nurul Izzah in Jinjang Lockup and that the police would seek a further remand the next morning. Muniandy informed us that he had advised his superiors that he should complete recording Nurul Izzah's statement and release her on police bail but that his superiors'  instructions were to proceed to remand.  When we pressed him who were these superiors, although he did not name them, we were left with a clear impression these instructions were coming from the very top of the police force in Bukit Aman.

Tan Sri Khalid is lying to the public about his instructions to his officers regarding the arrest of Nurul Izzah.

All of us who were present at IPD Dang Wangi today know full well that Nurul Izzah's statement could have easily have been recorded by yesterday afternoon.  We were ready to commence it at 3 pm yesterday.

Khalid Abu Bakar should resign for his shameless lies to the public to attempt to justify his instructions to his officers to remand Nurul Izzah overnight in Jinjang Lockup, a remand which was totally unnecessary.

Khalid should know that it is obvious to all and sundry that his detention of Nurul Izzah has UMNO's political fingerprints all over it. Unintelligent lies will not make that impression go away.

Sivarasa Rasiah
Member of Parliament for Subang.
Counsel for YB Nurul Izzah

17th March 2015