A rewind of 1998 events unfolding again. The same actors on the same stage but at a different time. What a trying time for Anwar and his family. May truth and justice prevail. May the culprits and the conspirators learn in this life that it does not pay to create hell for somebody's life..jpg)
Anwar detained overnight at KL police HQ; supporters keeping vigil outside defy police order to disperse
SUN2SURF
Charles Ramendran, Giam Say Khoon, Husna Yusop and Llew-Ann Phang
KUALA LUMPUR (July 16, 2008) : Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim who was arrested by police this afternoon will be held overnight by the police.
Keadilan supreme council member Badrul Hisham Sharin told reporters late tonight that Anwar's lawyers had told him that he will be held overnight by police.
Anwar was arrested by police near his home shortly after 1pm today, about an hour before the 2pm deadline for him to present himself at police headquarters to be questioned in connection with a sodomy allegation by his former aide.
Former Universiti Tenaga Nasional student Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 23, had lodged police report on June 28 alleging that the former deputy prime minister had sodomised him on June 26 at a condominium in Damansara here.
Under the law, police can detain a suspect in custody for up to 24 hours on their own power, after which they will have to either seek a remand order from the courts to detain him longer or release him on bail.
Earlier at about 8.30pm, Anwar was taken in a police vehicle in a convoy of eight other cars escorted by several police outriders to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital to obtain DNA samples.
His lawyer Subang MP R Sivarasa said police had ordered for a full medical examination to be done on Anwar.
However, he said "We did not allow them to take any DNA samples from him as we were not ready to provide it for now. What they did at the hospital was minimal," he said.
Anwar was escorted back from the hospital to the police headquarters in a police convoy of about a dozen vehicles and another two dozen outriders about 10.35pm.
At 11.30pm, Anwar's wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and daughters including Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah who were allowed entry to meet him arrived at midnight bringing for Anwar a bag containing his clothing and toiletries.
As if the day has not been bad enought for them, on the way up to see Anwar, Wan Azizah and her yourger daughter Hanna were trapped in an elevator in the police headquarters.
Rescuers from the Fire and Rescue Department arrived shortly after being summoned by police at midnight to free them 10 minutes later.
The country had been shocked to learn that Anwar was arrested by police near his home shortly after 1pm today, about an hour before the 2pm deadline for him to present himself at police headquarters to be questioned in connection with a sodomy allegation.
Anwar, who was at the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) in Putrajaya earlier in the morning to have a statement recorded on his report of fabrication of evidence in his 1998 black-eye case, was heading towards his house in Bukit Segambut Dalam when a police team, intercepted his car near his house.
Asked to comment on why Anwar was arrested before the 2pm deadline, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh when met at the parliament lobby said:
"I heard he gave his statement to the Anti-Corruption Agency and after that he was supposed to go the police headquarters.
"But he went to his home instead of going to the IPK-KL and he could not possibly be at the police headquarters at 2pm."
Wan Ahmad said however denied Anwar was man-handled, saying there were no untoward incidents as Anwar stepped into the police car voluntarily when asked to do so.
Asked if balaklava-clad masked commandos from the police special action squad (UTK) had been used to arrest Anwar, Wan Ahmad Farid said: "Not that I aware of. I was not there."
Wan Ahmad Farid however defended the police action saying they were only doing their job.
"We have a warrant of arrest on Anwar and the police were only out to execute the warrant. When the warrant was about to be executed, Anwar full cooperation and there was no incident," he said.
CID director Commissioner Mohd Bakri Zinin had yesterday given the 2pm deadline to Anwar after he did not show up for questioning on Monday, in protest of what he called police harassment and intimidation of his staff and family.
Earlier in the afternoon, as news of the arrest spread, supporters and opposition MP's had gathered outside the perimeter fencing of the headquarters while Wan Azizah and a team of his lawyers led by Sankara Nair were allowed to meet him.
About 150 police personnel, including those from the federal reserve unit (FRU) , light strike force (LSF) and special branch (SB), swarmed the vicinity and only those close to Anwar and his lawyers and reporters numbering about 80 were allowed past the perimeter.
Among those who also turned up were DAP chairman Karpal Singh and Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang. Anwar's daughters, including Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and her husband, arrived at 2pm.
Anwar's lawyer Sankara Nair who stepped out of the headquarters about 5.15pm told the press outside KL police headquarters that Anwar was arrested over the alleged sodomy report.
Nair who was with Anwar when he was arrested by a police team about 50m from his house in Segambut, claimed the police did not have the proper documents when making the arrest.
Nair who said Anwar was still being questioned over the sodomy allegations, expressed regret over the high-handed manner the police had acted.
"We had already made it clear to the police that we will be at their office at 2pm as promised. In fact, we told ACA officers at Putrajaya that we had to go off early as we had this appointment with KL police and we rushed back but it was shocking when we saw over 10 personnel from the Special Action Squad stop us and arrest Anwar."
"Anwar was not handcuffed,:" he said, adding that although the UTK wore balaclavas, no firearms were used or visible on them.
Anwar however managed to make a phone call to Wan Azizah about his arrest while on his way to the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters.
Earlier, at the parliament lobby where news about his arrest broke out , Wan Azizah said she had received a call from Anwar in a police car around 1.05pm, that he had been arrested.
"We did not have enough time to talk and ask about the warrant of arrest, but they (the police) have detained him and he is on his way to the police headquarters in a police car," she said.
"I am not in the know of what was happening. It makes more suspicious of how YB Rembau (Khairy Jamaluddin) had brought up this and asked for DNA sample when we all did not know that this was going to happen. Does he know more?," she asked.
Earlier, Khairy had demanded that Anwar submit his DNA sample for the sodomy case and triggered a quarrel between him and Wan Azizah.
"I am going to look after my kids now as that was what he told me to do," she said when asked she was going to see Anwar immediately at the police headquarters.
Wan Azizah however shared that she was apprehensive as 10 years had passed after Anwar was put into jail for sodomy charge and he is not that well after suffering a bad back which had required surgery.
As news of his arrest spread, more than 300 people including opposition MPs gathered outside the city police headquarters at Jalan Hang Tuah, many shouting slogans calling for Anwar's release.
By 3.30pm, about 300 supporters had gathered next to the police headquarters along Jalan Hang Tuah, chanting slogans demanding his release.
The crowd swelled to about 800 at 6pm, by which time police had closed Jalan Hang Tuah. At midnight, police mived to disperse the crowd which remained defiant, and looked prepared to keep their vigil for their leader outside the police headquarters the whole night.
Andalas assemblyman Dr Xavier Jeyakumar, who briefly met with Anwar earlier, said he failed to understand why there was a need to take Anwar to the KLH as DNA samples could be easily taken from him at the police headquarters. He said anwar appeared fine.
He said Subang MP R. Sivarasa followed Anwar in a separate car to the KLH as police did not allow the lawyer and PKR vice-president to accompany thim.
"We hope and pray he will be released today and not held any further," said Jeyakumar who said it was still unclear if Anwar will be released on bail or remanded.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said Anwar's arrest to assist police investigations in connection with a sodomy complaint was a normal practice in investigating criminal cases and followed the legal process.
He said it was normal practice for all parties including Anwar, as accused persons, to give their statements to enable police to conduct investigations fairly.
"The police know what they are doing and are only carrying out their duties in investigating this case," Bernama quoted him as saying shortly after arriving at the KL International Airport here from Brunei where he received the Datuk Seri Pahlawan award from the sultan.
Musa advised supporters of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser not to cause any disturbances following this latest development.
"I hope they (PKR supporters) will not do anything that is against the law. Police will not hesitate to act against those who do," he said, adding that he had instructed his men to be on high alert.
PKR vice-president Azmin Ali, who returned to Parliament House from the police headquarters just before 3pm, said the police only allowed two lawyers, Wan Azizah and her daughter to see Anwar.
"Many Pakatan Rakyat (PR) MPs had gone to see Anwar but were disallowed, so we decided to come back to the parliament and raise the matter for debate," he told reporters at the lobby.
Asked if an urgent motion will be moved on Anwar's arrest, Azmin said there was no option left for PR MPs but to raise it immediately in the House.
"Anwar had promised that he will show up to give his statement to the police. He was rushing from the Anti-Corruption Agency to the police heaquarters at 2pm. Why did the police need to stop him on the road?," asked Azmin who described the police move as irresponsible.
At 3pm, Azmin raised the issue of Anwar’s arrest in the Dewan Rakyat during the debate on the Supplementary Supply Bill, saying Anwar’s arrest was carried out by 15 masked policemen in the middle of the main road and that he had been man-handled.
The situation in the Dewan Rakyat quickly became chaotic and a shouting match ensued until Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, who took over at the chair, said all these happened because MPs had brought things which were not relevant to the policy being discussed.
Meanwhile PKR deputy President Syed Husin Ali urge the public and PRK member to remain calm and resist any provocation after Anwar's arrest .
Syed Husin told the press that the party had no immediate plan to conduct any protest of demonstration but will notify the public and media of any plan of the party.
"We do not rule out any forms of protest but they would be done on our terms. We will inform the public and media of our plans," said Syed Husin.
Meanwhile, PKR secretary general Datuk Salehuddin Hashim said that the party would not be responsible for any civil unrest that occurs over the next few days.
"If anything happens in the next few days, the smells of civil unrest, it does not come from this party," he said.
Syed Husin added that the party had received support after the arrest of Anwar and has received a few thousand calls.
He then added that he does not know how long Anwar will be detained for but said that the party will try to inform the public by 8pm.
A statement issued by PKR meanwhile said the events were deeply disturbing and indicated that the entire episode was a repeat of the actions taken against Anwar in 1998.
"We have been able to communicate with Anwar, who calls upon his supporters and the people of Malaysia to remain calm and to reject any attempts at provocation, which will give a pretext for an emergency situation to be declared," the statement said.
| 10.10am - 12.00am | Anwar gave statement to ACA in Putrajaya. Decides to have lunch at home before going to police |
| 12.45pm-1.00pm | Anwar's car was stopped by police team near his house in Bukit Segambut Dalam. He is arrested. |
| 1.05pm | Anwar's wife Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail got call from her husband about the arrest. |
| 1.20pm | Police car with Anwar in it arrives at KL police contingent HQ in Jalan Hang Tuah |
| 1.30pm | Anwar's six lawyers led by Sankara Nair and wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah arrives to IPK KL |
| 1.55pm | Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah and her husband arrives. 100 supporters gathered outside |
| 2.00pm | Karpal Singh arrives, followed by Lim Kit Siang and other opposition MPs |
| 5.30pm | CID chief Datuk Mohd Bakri Zinin holds press conference |
| 6.00pm | Jalan Hang Tuah closed to traffic because of the crowd swelled to 800 and growing. Police light strike force in position. FRU men also on standby with water cannon. |
| 6.30pm | Statement-taking continues. |
| 8.30pm | Anwar is sent to KL Hospital for DNA sample to be taken. |
| 10.35pm | Anwar escorted back to KL police contingent HQ |
| 11.30pm | Wan Azizah and children arrive carrying a bag of clothes and toiletries for Anwar, but are trapped in an elevator. Fire and Rescue department summoned to free them at midnight.
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Read More “ANWAR DETAINED:CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS” »»
Out and about … Anwar Ibrahim leaves court yesterday. He pleaded not guilty to sodomy charges and was released on bail.
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