Tuition teacher arrested at anti-ISA vigil

Penang A peaceful anti-ISA candlelight vigil in the Esplanade of Penang's Georgetown on Saturday night was marred by the arrest of the event co-organiser, tuition teacher Paula Khoo.

Khoo, 47, a first-timer in organising such a vigil, was however released on police bail four hours later - at about 1am - when her husband, BS Khor, 51, signed the bail order.

She is required to report at the Jalan Patani police station on Nov 28.Her arrest, minutes after the 40-minute vigil ended at 8.40pm drew criticisms from activists who described the police action as "unwarranted, irrational, and high-handed".

Earlier, some 200 activists took part in the vigil, organised by a group called Penang Anti-ISA Network.

The vigil was part of a public effort to urge the government to repeal the draconian Internal Security Act, which allows detention without trial.

The event was about to end when a police team, including a Light Strike Force unit, led by Lebuh Pantai police station chief Chief Inspector Alimin Ali told the crowd to disperse, which the activists duly obliged.

Khoo, a mother of two, was standing on the side of the road waiting for her husband's car when a group of police officers told her to follow them to the city police headquarters in Jalan Patani to give a statement.

She, who appeared surprised, was subsequently whisked away in the police van.

Arrested For Illegal Assembly

At the police headquarters, Khoo was informed by an investigation officer that she was being arrested under Section 141 of the Penal Code for taking part in an illegal assembly

DAP parliamentarians Liew Chin Tong and Jeff Ooi, former Gerakan national women leader Rhina Bhar, social activist BK Ong and 15 other anti-ISA activists were at the police headquarters to show their support for Khoo.

Upon her release, a tired but cheerful-looking Khoo told journalists that her brief ordeal had made her more appreciative of the plight of ISA detainees and their families.

She said the police have sought to compel her to ‘tell all' about the anti-ISA vigil and the organisation behind it.

According to Ong (centre in photo), her arrest was unnecessary since the vigil had ended and the crowd was already leaving the venue.

Liew said the police should exercise restrain in their handling of peaceful assemblies.

At the vigil, Bukit Mertajam MP Chong Eng, Parti Rakyat Malaysia vice-president Gary GV Nair, PAS Bayan Baru assistant information chief Raziz Mohd Nor and several others spoke about the ‘evil' of ISA and called for the repeal of the preventive detention law.