Missing game
Jul 14th, 2007 by Tian
Police played hide and seek with us over the detention of Nat.
We started searching for his whereabout immediately after his arrest in the afternoon. Only after whole night searching, Nat’s place of detention was ascertained.
Nat’s girlfriend, Li Tsin was of course very troubled. She is working for Malaysiakini and had been covering the court case of Altantuya in the last weeks. Understandingly she was worried with the consequence of the arrest.
Lateefah and William Leong volunteered to act as Nat’s counsels and they accompanied Li Tsin to Bukit Aman to inquire about the arrest. Since three plaincloth police officers did not leave their names, we don’t even know how to trace where Nat was being held.
Since about 18:30hr, several friends and party members arrived that Bukit Aman. The officers at the gate refused to acknowledge Nat’s arrest. They advised Li Tsin and friends to make a police report on missing person.
Li Tsin then lodged a police report at IPD Dang Wangi, Jalan Stadium. As anticipated, no positive response.
At about 21:30hr, a small group of activists mainly from Parti Keadilan Rakyat, assembled at the front gate of Bukit Aman in solidarity with Nat. Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Youth Chief Shamsul Iskandar was among those who present.
Angkatan Muda activists made another inquiry with the guardhouse. We insistently demanded to meet the Special Branch officers to find out the actual situation.
Finally the SB agreed to meet our delegation. Shamsul Iskandar, Zaki Yamani (KeADILan Youth), Yap Swee Seng (Suaram) and I were invited into the compound of the Police HQ. We were received by Superintendent Nasir. Fortunately he was rather helpful. While claiming that he was not aware of the arrest, he instructed his officers to find out about Nat.
From him, we were assured that Nat was not held within the ground of Bukit Aman. Further we were told that Nat was arrested based on a report lodged at Dang Wangi police station. However we have no information on the content of the report. We were also informed that the arrest was not done by SB but the commercial crime unit, and his detention has to do with “cyber-crime” (jenayah cyber).
Erh? What the heck is cyber-crime? I have totally no idea. I am quite sure the police have even less idea than me.
Vigil at Bukit Aman
From Bukit Aman the crowd moved to the police office of the commercial crimes at Jalan Hussein Onn. There I met Nat’s parents, for the first time. They were anxious to locate Nat but appeared calm and not in panic. That’s an important quality in a situation like this.
Unfortunately, we again could not find Nat. The commercial crime unit acknowledged the arrest and informed us the name of the Investigation Officer (IO). However the IO refused to provide any confirmation over the place of Nat’s detention.
We had to make more phone calls around all the police stations. Eventually we found out that he was detained in IPD Dang Wangi.
Again we rushed over to IPD Dang Wangi; some 30 over activists occupied the sitting area of the party. After some strong intervention, the officer in charge agreed to use his “budi bicara” to allow the family to meet with Nat.
Nat’s father Paul, his mother and Li Tsin went into the lock-up area to visit him. Li Tsin later told that Nat appeared cheerful and not intimidated.
However, we were still puzzled what was Nat’s wrongdoing. The police officers revealed that he is detained under Section 420, Crimnal Crime. Earlier another ASP told us Nat’s arrest was connected to the Official Secrete Act (OSA). At the end, no one was sure of anything.
When meeting the family, Nat told Li Tsin that the police told him that they are investigating him because an unidentified readers had posted a link on his blog mentioning corruption allegation against Johari Baharom Deputy Minister of Internal Security.
What? This is purely lame excuse.
Although I cannot be certain of the real motive of this arrest, the arrest sends a very negative signal on the state of free speech.
Nat was probably the first blogger/webmaster to be arrested and detained for internet activities.
This is alarming…
But don’t let fear overshadow our fighting spirit.
Nat’s friends and family gathered at IPD Dang Wangi showed up in support!
STAY STRONG NAT.
WHY MUST OUR GOVERNMENT RESORT TO THESE SORT OF TACTICS ? WHY? WHY? THIS IS BAD AND WITH THESE SORT OF ATTITUTE I AM SURE YOU HAVE MALAYSIAN’S SYMPATHY. PKR, YOU HAVE MY VOTE
That’s it, I am not going to vote BN this time round. They have shown to be bullies without good reason.
The “jangan cabar kesabaran kami” banner is another case in point.
i am so sad. this sounded so 3rd World. sounded so like Mugabe regime. taken in the wee hours – unable to locate where an individual was kept after being taken in by the police…
tian i hope PKR will try to make things right.
1: if it is only an “invitation” can a subject say no
2: when these people identified themselves shouldnt they leave a name card or show their ID to people in the room to ascertain their identity and to confirm where the subject will be taken for interview?
there are just so many questions… this look so bad on Malaysia especially when the whole country (world) is watching the Altantuya case and when we have top officials being investigated…
PKR..u hv my VOTE too..
[...] read on this in Global Voices. Missing game by Tian. Sphere: Related [...]
As can be seen clearly by everyone, Malaysians included, the Malaysian police can arrest anyone and then charge them for any crime, real or imagined.
If the arrest is calculated to instil fear in the average Malaysia, fear flew out of the window many years ago.
The use of fear is no longer effective. The use of coercion is no longer effective.
There was a time in the 1960s and 1970s when to be detained under the ISA was a shame. Today, detention under the ISA is a badge of honour.
Why has this paradigm shift occurred? Maybe, Malaysians know that coercion has been misued and abused. Think of Operation Lalang in 1987. Think of the Salleh Abas affair in 1988.
Where have all the flowers gone? Gone to graveyards …
Where have all the dreamers of a great Malaysia gone? Gone to …
“At the end, no one was sure of anything.”
They need not be sure. Arrest first then try to cook up a charge. If still cannot find one they will let him go. The idea is to intimidate. Come on, SIL has lodged a report. How could the police not act on it?
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Hi, I’m a Canadian living in Western Canada.
I used to be a Malaysian and civil servant, but no more for 30 years now. I think the arrest of Nathan is wrong. The police should go after crooks, corrupted politicians, thieves and robbers and not ordinary citizens who speak up. From afar, Malaysia seems to preach fairness but in actuality it is behaves like a police state.
The UMNO-dominated government is foolish and unfair. Parliamentary democracy in name only. Canadians cannot tolerate hypocracy and trying to gag freedom of expression and freedom to speak out against state-sanction terror and arbitrary arrest. I demand that the power that be to immediate free Nathan or bring him to trial for speaking the truth. I am with you all even though I am disillusioned and no longer a Malaysian anymore. I say the hell with the police and corrupted politicians.
Shame on the sham UMNO government! Cheers.
sign the petition http://www.PetitionOnline.com/nat2007/
Nat, stay strong and do not fear, the police cannot do anything to you. Remember you are not a criminal. They use the police to frighten you as i can see that you are still quite young. Take it as an experience and relaxed yourself feel as if it is your holiday time to stay away from the computer for a short while. Many people cannot get experience like these. Enjoy the time as it will make you stronger.
To the PM,
Pak Lah, Nat Tan parents need you to come out and release him, maybe your no. 2 does not know but i think you are made to do bigger things than small nitty gritty things like lock up a young educated man full of dreams and hopes which will beneficial to our beloved Malaysia in future. Be the public hero. Forgive Nat Tan and do the bigger things in life. Thanks.
[...] forcing anxious acquaintances on what has variously been called a “wild goose chase”, a “hide and seek†and a “cat-and-mouse game†to find him. They shuttled back and forth between the Bukit Aman [...]