police « ctannie

Promise me that after reading, right till the end, every word, no cheating, that you’ll close your eyes and imagine it happening to either you or your brother or your dad or your nephew or your son or your cousin or your uncle or your close friend. Feel every pain that he went through. Think of his experiences before you close your eyes, waiting to surrender to sleep.
English translation right below.

Malek: Pengalaman ngeri sebagai tahanan ISA (My traumatic experience under ISA)

Malaysiakini reports that YM Raja Petra Kamarudin (picture above) has been sent to the ISA detention camp in Kamunting where he will be incarcerated for two years following the orders of the heartless and evil Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar of the evil.BN/Umno regime.

The following is a contribution of LITTLE BLACK BIRD We, the Rakyat (People) must act so that RPK and all the remaining ISA Detainees are freed immediately from the sadistic, barbaric and cruel jailers at the ISA Detention Center in Kamunting.
The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) is exposed here as a bunch of thugs in uniform.

The following is a transcript of that You Tube Interview in Bahasa Malaysia.(english right down below.)

Abdul Malek Hussin, bekas tahanan ISA (Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri), tidak akan dapat melupakan buat selama-lamanya peristiwa buruk yang telah berlaku ke atas dirinya sembilan tahun yang lalu. Abdul Malek, 51, telah menang dalam samannya terhadap kerajaan kerana menangkap dan menyeksanya pada tahun 1998.

Mahkamah juga menganugerahkan gantirugi RM2.5 juta kepadanya. Beliau memfailkan saman tersebut pada Mac 1999, terhadap anggota cawangan khas, Borhan Daud; Ketua Polis ketika itu, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor dan kerajaan Malaysia. Abdul Malek yang juga pengerusi badan pemantau Pilihanraya Bebas dan Adil Malaysia (Mafrel) ditahan di bawah ISA sembilan tahun yang lalu.

Beliau menceritakan kepada Malaysiakini setiap saat pahit yang dilaluinya sewatku menjadi tahanan ISA.

Berikut adalah petikan temubual beliau dengan Malaysiakini:————————————————Sudah sembilan tahun berlalu, bolehkah anda menceritakan apa yang berlaku, apakah yang telah mereka lakukan terhadap anda, dan perasaan anda ketika itu?
Apabila (bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) dipecat oleh kerajaan kerana dituduh terbabit dalam aktiviti tidak bermoral, maka ramai rakyat yang tidak puashati dengan ketidakadilan (penangkapan Anwiar), dan sebagai seorang rakyat, saya menyokong pejuangan untuk menegakkan keadilan untuk Anwar.

Saya adalah antara mereka yang tidak senang dengan cara kerajaan pimpinan Dr Mahathir mengguna dan menyalahgunakan kuasa ketika itu, untuk memecat Anwar dan saya mengambil keputusan untuk menunjukkan sokongan (kepada Anwar).Saya terbabit dalam gerakan reformasi sejak hari pertamanya lagi pada 4 September 1998.

Selepas penangkapan Anwar, saya telah mengambil inisiatif untuk menganjurkan satu perhimpunan besar-besaran untuk menuntut pembebasan Anwar dan peletakan jawatan Dr Mahathir dan Ketua Polis Negara ketika itu, Abdul Rahim Noor.

Saya kemudiannya mengetuai perhimpunan di Masjid Negara pada 25 September, lima hari selepas Anwar ditangkap. Saya ditangkap di rumah saya di Ampang pada kira-kira jam 10-11 malam.

Saya pulang (ke rumah) dengan menaiki kereta yang dipandu oleh seorang rakan. Dia menurunkan saya kira-kira 200 meter dari rumah saya dan polis menangkap saya ketika saya berada di pintu pagar.

Saya digari dan dipaksa membuka pintu pagar rumah saya oleh pasukan polis yang diketuai oleh ASP Borhan Daud. Mula-mula dia memaksa saya membuka (pintu rumah) dan tentunya saya bertanya, “Mengapa saya digari?” dan dia berkata, saya ditahan di bawah ISA.

Saya kemudiannya bertanya, “Mengapa anda perlu menggari tangan saya?” dan saya bertanya kepadanya “Apakah sebab saya ditahan”, (dan dia berkata) “ISA” dan dia menjawab seperti robot, semuanya adalah (di bawah) ISA. Dia kemudiannya berkata, dia mahu menggeledah rumah saya, dan saya bertanya mana warannya.

Malah, saya bertanya waran untuk menangkap saya di bawah ISA. Dia berkata, ianya tidak perlu dan saya bertanya kepadanya mengapa, dan dia berkata, ISA, dan dia berkata, saya sepatutnya tahu. Dia mahu menggeledah rumah saya dan saya bertanya di mana warannya, dan sekali lagi, dia berkata, ianya tidak perlu dan saya bertanya kepadanya mengapa dan dia berkata ISA.

Saya memanggil anak-anak saya dan keluarga saya membuka pintu dan anggota polis masuk dengan memakai kasut, terus ke tingkat bawah dan tingkat atas rumah saya. Mereka kemudiannya masuk ke bilik mentelaah saya, serta menggeledah dan memeriksa semua dokumen saya.

Mereka kemudian masuk ke bilik tidur saya di mana isteri dan anak-anak saya sedang tidur. Isteri saya terkejut dan bertanya kepada saya apa yang berlaku dan saya menunjukkan kepadanya (tangan yang bergari) dan apabila dia bertanya mengapa, saya menjawab “ISA”.
Kemudian, mereka merampas beberapa dokumen dan mereka juga merakamkan dokumen-dokumen tersebut. Selepas 40 minit berada di dalam rumah saya, mereka mengarah saya mengikut mereka. Mereka kemudiannya bertanya di mana kereta saya. Borhan memaksa saya menunjukkan kepadanya di mana kereta saya dan saya berkata, saya dihantar pulang oleh seorang rakan dan saya turun kira-kira 200 meter (dari rumah).

Saya menunjukkan kepada Borhan tempat saya turun dari kereta. Rakan saya sudah beredar dari situ. (Borhan) naik marah dengan jawapan saya sehingga dia bertindak menampar saya di situ juga dan sakitnya dapat dirasai hingga ke hari ini. Saya rasa saya telah kehilangan lebih 40-50 peratus deria pendengaran di telinga kiri saya.

Apabila mahkamah diberitahu mengenai perkara itu, Borhan menafikannya. Selepas itu, dia memaksa saya masuk ke dalam kereta, bukan kereta polis, ia kereta biasa. Saya diarah memakai (kacamata) tertentu bervisi kelabu, tetapi kemudiannya saya menyedari bingkai di sini (sebelah kiri) telah patah dan saya memberitahu mereka yang ianya telah patah dan mereka mengarahkan saya (menanggalkan) kacamata saya dan salah seorang pegawai (membuka) baju-t hitam yang dipakainya dan menyerkupnya menutup kepala saya.

Anda bayangkanlah bau baju t-shirt itu yang agaknya telah dipakainya sejak pagi hingga tengah malam. Ia amat busuk dan mereka memaksa saya masuk ke dalam kereta. Saya melutut dan diarah supaya tidak melihat ke mana-mana kerana mereka tidak mahu saya tahu ke mana mereka membawa saya. Kemudiannya mereka membawa saya pergi dari situ dan kira-kira beberapa minit kemudiannya, kereta tersebut berhenti. Saya tidak tahu di mana.

Mereka kemudiannya membawa saya naik anak tangga sebuah bangunan yang kemudiannya saya mendapat tahu (Ibupejabat Kontinjen Polis Kuala Lumpur). Mereka membawa saya ke sebuah bilik dan saya diarah menandatangani (sekeping) kertas yang disediakan oleh Borhan yang menyatakan bahawa saya ditahan di bawah ISA, jadi Borhan adalah pegawai yang melakukan tangkapan. Selepas itu mereka mengarahkan saya menanggalkan pakaian – menanggalkan baju dan seluar saya.

Saya ingat ok kerana saya tahu tahanan ISA akan diberi pakaian tahanan khas (iaitu) berwarna biru. Jadi saya ingat saya akan diberi pakaian tersebut. (Selepas) saya menanggalkan kesemua pakaian, tiba-tiba seorang pegawai menggari tangan saya dari belakang dengan kuat sekali, dan di situ terdapat enam hingga lapan orang pegawai di depan saya dalam sebuah bilik kecil di tingkat satu.

Saya digari dan mereka menutup mata saya dengan dua (keping) kain hitam dan saya bingung sepenuhnya. Saya tidak tahu siapakah mereka, jadi saya mengagak mereka semua adalah pegawai yang melakukan tangkapan yang diketuai oleh Borhan.

Kemudian Borhan menendang dan menumbuk saya dan saya boleh dengar suaranya betul-betul di depan saya kerana dia yang menangkap saya dan saya boleh kenal suaranya. Seorang pegawai akan mengambil satu objek keras dan memukul kaki kanan saya, seorang pegawai lagi akan memukul kaki kiri saya dan mereka kemudiannya menumbuk muka saya.

Saya kemudiannya kena ‘flying kick’, ‘side kick’ dan mereka kemudiannya memaksa saya berdiri. Sejurus kemudian saya terjatuh dan tidak sedarkan diri untuk pertama kali dan mereka menuangkan air dan memaksa saya berdiri lagi dan saya jatuh pengsan sekali lagi – semuanya sebanyak lima kali. Dan saya juga mengira dengan jari saya berapa kali saya dipukul [...] semuanya 63 kali.

Selepas itu saya tidak tahan lagi dan tidak sedarkan diri. Itulah yang dapat saya ingat ketika masih sedar… Salah satu pukulan itu amat kuat sekali dan tiba-tiba kain yang menutup mata saya terjatuh dan betul-betul di depan saya adalah (Abdul) Rahim Noor yang memakai sarung (tinju) berwarna merah. Dia memakai (baju) batik Indonesia, berseluar hitam dan kasut berkilat warna perang.

Saya masih ingat dan saya menceritakannya secara terperinci di mahkamah. Dan kerana (kain penutup mata) terjatuh, saya terkejut dan dia juga terkejut kerana saya dapat mengenalinya dan dia terus beredar, begitu juga dengan semua pegawai lain yang turut beredar dari situ kerana tidak mahu mereka dikenali.

Kemudian mereka pusing saya menghala ke dinding dan sekali lagi menutup mata dan saya terus dibelasah hingga tidak sedarkan diri. Apabila saya sedar semula, waktunya masih belum jam 4 pagi. Mereka mengarah saya pergi ke bilik lain yang hawa dingin dibuka dengan kuat. Saya masih bertelanjang dan badan saya sakit akibat dipukul. Penghawa dingin itu terletak di tengah-tengah bilik dan setiap beberapa minit mereka mencurah air sejuk ke kepala saya.

Dalam keadaan anda telah diseksa dan cedera, dicurahkan pula dengan air sejuk dan saya menggeletar kesejukan. Mereka bertanya sama ada saya sejuk dan saya menjawab iya dan mereka akan mencurah lebih banyak lagi air sehingga kira-kira jam 4.30 pagi. Mereka kemudian berhenti dan tidak lagi bertanya sebarang soalan.

Semasa diseksa mereka, Borhan bertanya kepada saya sama ada saya dahaga dan saya menjawab “tentulah dahaga”. Kemudian secara tiba-tiba seseorang memegang saya dari belakang dan seorang lagi menggunakan jarinya untuk membuka mulut saya seluas-luasnya. Mereka kemudiannya menuang cecair yang rasanya hanyir dan kotor, ke dalam mulut saya. Ia adalah air kencing dan mereka memberitahu saya ia adalah air kencing. Air kencing mereka, bukan air kencing saya. Mereka bergilir-gilir kencing dan secara paksa menuang kira-kira dua tin air kencing mereka.

Bila mereka bertanya sama ada saya lapar atau tidak, saya jawab “Tentulah saya lapar”. Borhan meminta pegawainya menyediakan tahi anjing untuk saya. Ia dekat dengan mulut saya, saya dapat menghidu baunya.

Dan dia mengugut saya yang dia akan menggunakan penyuntik yang mengandungi virus HIV dan menyuntiknya ke badan saya kerana saya telah berkata kepadanya “Lebih baik awak bunuh saya. Apa gunanya? Apa yang awak cuba buktikan? Apa yang awak buat di sini? Mengapa awak begitu kejam,” saya bertanya kepada mereka (Dia berkata) “Oh awak mahu mati, oh jadi kita akan bunuh awak secara perlahan-lahan, kita akan masukkan virus HIV ke badan awak”. Tentulah mereka tidak melakukannya.

Dan kemudiannya selepas kira-kira jam 5 pagi, mereka berhenti membelasah saya. Saya rasa mereka juga keletihan dan pulang ke rumah. Pada 26 September, pada waktu tengahari, saya dibawa ke Bukit Aman dan dimasukkan ke tempat kurungan dan hanya dapat melihat matahari pada hari ke-28 penahanan saya.

Maka, jika anda bertanyakan perasaan saya mengenainya, (ia) sangat kejam dan tidak berperi kemanusiaan. (Polis) bukan manusia. Saya rasa binatang ada rasa belas kasihan. Malah anjing pun kenal tuannya dan tidak menggigit orang lain. Mereka lebih terusk daripada anjing.
Jika orang kata mereka adalah anjing kerajaan, saya rasa pada m masa itu, mereka lebih teruk daripada anjing.

Bagaimanakah anda dilayan di sana (di Bukit Aman)?
Saya tidak dibenarkan menghubungi sesiapa.
Beberapa hari kemudiannya sebelum hari ke-28 (dalam tahanan) , mereka bertanya sama ada saya mahu berjumpa dengan keluarga saya. Sudah tentulah, sebelum berjumpa dengan keluarga, mereka akan mengatur satu sesi khas supaya saya tidak menceritakan apa-apa tentang apa yang terjadi pada diri saya, supaya tidak membayangkan yang saya telah diseksa dan supaya menunjukkan kepada keluarga saya yang semuanya ok dan supaya meyakinkan keluarga saya supaya (tidak memfailkan) permohonan habeas corpus atau saya tidak akan dibebaskan.

Dan saya memberitahu pegawai penyiasat saya di Bukit Aman bahawa saya telah diseksa di IPK dan saya mahu membuat laporan polis terhadap Borhan, mereka berkata, “Tidak, kamu tidak perlu berbuat demikian – kami telah mengambil tindakan terhadap Borhan”. Sedangkan ianya tidak benar.

Saya tidak diberi peluang untuk membuat laporan, tidak diberi peluang untuk bertemu peguam saya, tidak dapat hubungi keluarga dan saya hanya diberi rawatan perubatan beberapa hari kemudiannya di Bukit Aman. Saya memberitahu doktor dan beliau memeriksa saya dan ia disahkan dalam laporan perubatan mengenai lebam-lebam di kaki kiri, kaki kanan, di bahagian perut dan terdapat kecederaan.

Saya mengadu kepada Dr Vasantha Ponniah mengenai apa yang berlaku terhadap diri saya dan beliau telah memberi keterangan di mahkamah mengenai keadaan saya berdasarkan kepada kecederaan pada diri saya.

Metodologi cawangan khas ialah memberi layanan paling keras pada hari pertama sebagai satu ingatan kepada tahanan bahawa mereka akan berdepan dengan keadaan yang lebih teruk lagi sekiranya gagal memberi kerjasama. Ia lebih berbentuk psikologi.

Dan sudah tentulah di Bukit Aman, ia telahpun diinstitusi dari segi bagaimana mereka mengendalikan tahanan. Saya dimasukkan ke dalam bilik kurungan seorang diri, tiada cahaya matahari, saya tidak tahu sama ada ianya pagi, saya tidak tahu langsung.

Pada hari ke-28, ketika dikunjungi keluarga semasa saya dibawa dari Bukit Aman ke IPM, saya begitu menghargai cahaya matahari, ianya amat indah sekali. Cukup indah.
Bagaimanakan anda disoalsiasat?

Saya disoalsiasat selama 17 hari di tingkat tiga bangunan tersebut. Mereka bertanya soalan dari pagi, tengahari, petang, sehingga malam, dan kadang-kadang hingga lewat malam. Pada satu ketika apabila mereka tidak puas hati dengan apa yang berlaku di luar di mana orang ramai masih berkumpul di Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (dan) di Kampung Baru, mereka tidak senang lalu, memanggil saya lewat malam untuk disoalsiasat hingga awal pagi.

Sewaktu disoalsiasat oleh pegawai Bukit Aman, soalan-soalan yang mereka tanya setiap hari, soalan mengenai gerakan reformasi, mengenai Anwar Ibrahim, hubungannya dengan orang ini dan orang itu.

Kemudian Nurul Izzah menemui (Presiden Filipina ketika itu, Joseph) Estrada di Filipina dan (bekas Setiausaha Negara Amerika) Madeline Albright. Saya berada di dalam dan semua itu berlaku di luar sana, dan mereka bertanya mengenai Gerak yang ditubuhkan, dan mengenai pembaharuan politik, mengenai PAS, mengenai sama ada ISA patut dimansuhkan atau tidak.

Saya rasa tidak perlu anda menangkap saya di bawah ISA untuk bertanya soalan-soalan tersebut. Mereka menafikan saya peralatan yang ada sekiranya mereka dapati saya tidak bekerjasama sepenuhnya. (Mereka akan) mengambil balik tilam atau bantal.

Selepas dikunjungi keluarga, mereka bagi tahu saya yang saya hanya akan ditahan selama sebulan dan mereka akan membebaskan saya. (Mereka kata) jika saya tidak diberi perakuan untuk dibebaskan, maka mereka akan melanjutkan tahanan dan ianya berterusan sehingga hari ke-57.

Ada juga hari-hari di mana mereka tidak berbuat apa-apa. Mereka akan menghantar makanan dan pada masa itu, saya mendapat makanan, ia seperti nasi bungkus bersama ikan yang berulat. Itu bermakna, ianya dilakukan dengan sengaja. Maksud saya kami adalah tahanan dan makanan ini sepatutnya disediakan oleh kerajaan dan ini bermakna negara menyediakan makanan busuk kepada saya.

Apa yang berlaku selepas anda dibebaskan?
Saya dibebaskan pada 21 November dan tertakluk kepada pengawasan cawangan khas yang memantau aktiviti-aktiviti saya.

Saya perlu melaporkan kepada mereka dan malah mereka mengugut bahawa saya boleh ditangkap semula, saya mesti bekerjasama dengan mereka dan psikologinya ialah mereka mempunyai kuasa untuk menangkap saya semula. Jadi, wujud rasa takut yang saya akan ditangkap semula. Saya mengambil masa yang lama untuk mengembalikan kekuatan dan keberanian untuk membuat laporan polis dan saya membuat keputusan tersebut pada bulan Mac (1999).

Apa yang mempengaruhi saya adalah apabila kerajaan mengambil keputusan untuk menubuhkan Suruhanjaya Diraja (untuk menyiasat kes mata lebam Anwar) apabila kita membaca mengenai testimoni oleh Dr Vasantha Ponniah. Kemudian saya teringat, “Baiklah, itulah wanita yang merawat saya”. Jadi, saya ingat adalah sedikit bantuan.

Saya ingat dengan penubuhan Suruhanjaya Diraja itu, akan wujud ruang untuk membuat aduan. Sejak dari itu, semasa saya disoalbalas di mahkamah, mereka bertanya kepada saya mengapa saya mengambil masa yang begitu lama.Ini bukanlah satu kemalangan jalanraya. Ini adalah sesuatu di mana anda telah diseksa. Anda perlu untuk membina semula keberanian.

Adakah anda takut? Adakah anda pernah berasa seperti telah putus asa?
Saya cuba supaya tidak kelihatan takut walaupun (sebenarnya) saya amat takut sekali.
Saya rasa (anggota) cawangan khas berada di mana-mana sahaja. (Saya rasa) terancam tetapi untuk pulih semula, anda perlu berjumpa dengan orang, anda perlu bercakap dengan orang. Lama kelamaan, saya mula menceritakan kepada orang apa yang berlaku ketika dalam tahanan.

Mereka amat terkejut. Kemudian rakan-rakan telah meyakinkan saya untuk bercakap mengenainya dan pada bulan Februari saya menceritakan pengalaman tersebut dalam satu majlis anjuran Gerak (Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia untuk Keadilan) oleh (bekas Presiden PAS) Datuk Fadzil Noor di Dewan Perhimpunan Cina Kuala Lumpur-Selangor pada Februari 1999.
Saya memperolehi semula keberanian saya. Dan anda perlu faham bahawa anda boleh dituduh membuat laporan palsu. Saya terpaksa menyediakan laporan polis yang panjang dan begitu terperinci serta satu afidavit untuk memfail saman sivil.

Bagaimanapun perasaan keluarga anda mengenai semua itu?
Mereka sudah biasa yang apa saya lakukan. Mereka menyokong aktiviti-aktiviti saya. Malah, isteri dan anak-anak saya sudah tahu mengenai keazaman saya untuk melaporkan aktiviti-aktiviti demi hak rakyat, aktiviti politik dan aktiviti sosial.

Would sleep come easily to you?

I hijacked this from MarGeeMar blog-thanks

http://margeemar.blogspot.com/
This english translation provided by anti-ISA on 9 October (thanks to whoever you are! appreciate it)
The English version:

Malek: My ISA detention horror

People often forget incidents of the past but for former ISA detainee Abdul Malek Hussin, one horror event will forever be etched in his mind – his 57 days of living hell in detention.

Abdul Malek Hussin, 51, was this week awarded RM2.5 million in damages against the government over his arrest and torture in 1998. This was the result of a civil suit he filed in March 1999, naming special branch officer Borhan Daud, the then Inspector General of Police Abdul Rahim Noor and the government as respondents.

It has been nine years since the chairperson of polls watchdog Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel) was detained under the draconian Internal Security Act and he recollects every moment of it in an interview with Malaysiakini.

Here are some excerpts:

Can you relate to us what happened then – what did they do to you and how you felt?

When (former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim) was expelled by the government on allegations of immoral activities, there was widespread dissent among the people against the injustice of (Anwar’s arrest) and as a private citizen, I undertook to support the cause of justice for Anwar. I was among the many who were unhappy with how the government under Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) used and abused powers to expel Anwar, and I decided to show my support.

I was involved with the reformasi movement from the first day – on Sept 4, 1998. After the arrest of Anwar Ibrahim, I took the initiative to organise another massive gathering to demand the release of Anwar and the resignation of Mahathir and Inspector-General of Police Abdul Rahim Noor then. I led the gathering at Masjid Negara on Sept 25, five days after Anwar was arrested.

(Later that day) I was arrested at my home. It was about 10-11pm and I was staying in Ampang. I returned (home) in a car driven by a friend who dropped me (off) about 200 metres from my house and the police arrested me at the gate. I was handcuffed and forced to open the gate of my house by the arresting party led by ASP Borhan Daud.

First, he forced me to open (my house door) and of course I asked him, “Why are you handcuffing me?” and he said I was being arrested under the ISA. I asked, “Why do you need to handcuff me?” he said “ISA”, and I asked him “What’s the reason for my arrest?” (and he said) “ISA”. He mentioned it like some mechanic and robotic answer that everything was (under the) ISA.

He then said he wanted to conduct a search in my house and I asked him where was the warrant. In fact, I asked for the warrant of arrest under the ISA. He said it was not necessary and I asked him why and he said well, ISA, and he said I should know that.

He wanted to search my house and I asked him where was the warrant of search and again, he said it was not necessary, and I asked him why, and he said (again) ISA. I called my kids and my family to open the door and the policemen went in with their shoes straightaway to the ground floor and the first floor of my house.

Then they went to my study room and ransacked and checked all my documents. He entered my master bedroom where my wife and children were sleeping. My wife was shocked and asked me what was happening and I showed her the handcuffs and when she asked me why, I said, “ISA”.

They confiscated some documents and they also recorded the documents. After 40 minutes in my house, they told me to leave with them. I was then asked where was my car. Borhan forced me to show him my car and I said I was driven by a friend and I was dropped about 200 metres away. I showed Borhan exactly the spot where I was dropped.

My friend had just left the scene. (Borhan) became so angry and irritated by my response that he slapped me there and then – the pain I can feel until today. There is this drizzling sound I am still hearing it now, until today. I think I have got more than 40-50 percent hearing loss in my left ear. When this was brought up in the courts, Borhan denied it.

After that, he forced me into the car, it was not a police car, it was an unmarked car. I was told to wear a certain (pair of) spectacles with blurred vision but then I realised that the frame here (on the left) was broken and I told them that it was broken and they told me to (take off) my specs, and one of the officers (took) off his black T-shirt and wrapped my whole head (inside it).

You can imagine the smell from the T-shirt which he must have worn from early morning and it was then midnight. It was so smelly. They forced me down inside the car. I knelt down and told not to look anywhere because they did not want me to know where I would be taken.

They drove, and about a few minutes later the car stopped at a location. I didn’t know where. They then carried me up a staircase of a building which later turn out to be the (Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent headquarters).

They brought me to a room and I was told to sign a certain (piece of) paper which stated that I was arrested under the ISA prepared by Borhan – so Borhan was the arresting officer.

After that they told me to undress – to take off my shirt and my trousers. I thought that was okay because I knew ISA detainees would be given a special detention uniform – blue in colour – so I thought I would be given a new uniform.

(After) I undressed myself completely, suddenly an officer handcuffed me very tightly from the back and there were about six to eight officers in front of me in a small room on the first floor. I was handcuffed and they blindfolded me with two (pieces of) black cloth and I was completely disoriented. I did not know who they were so I guess they were all the arresting officers led by Borhan.

Then Borhan kicked and punched me, and I can hear his voice right in front of me … I can recognise his voice. One officer took a hard object and hit me on the right leg, another officer hit me on the left leg and then they started punching my face. Then I was given a flying kick, a side kick…

Soon I fell unconscious for the first time, and they poured water and forced me to stand up again and I fell unconscious again – all a total of five times. And I also counted how many times I was hit by using my fingers – altogether it was 63 hits. After that I could not withstand it and I passed out. That was what I could recall consciously.

In one of those moments, I was hit by a very powerful punch and suddenly my blindfold dropped down and right in front of me was (Abdul) Rahim Noor who was wearing a red (boxing) glove. He was wearing an Indonesian batik (shirt), dark trousers and brown polished shoes. I could remember and I described that in court in detail.

And because the (blindfold) had fallen, I was shocked and he was also shocked because I could recognise him and he just ran away behind the door, and the officers all fled the scene because they did not want to be recognised. Then they turned me to the wall and blindfolded me again and the beating went on until I passed out.

When I regained consciousness, it was still before 4am. They told me to go to another room with the air-cond in full blast. I was still stripped naked and my body was aching from the beatings. The air-cond was right in the middle of the room, and for every couple of minutes they poured cold water on my head… I was shivering. They asked me whether I was cold and I said yes, and they poured more cold water until about 4.30 am. Then they stopped, no questions asked.

During that ordeal, Borhan asked me if I was thirsty after all the beatings and I said “Of course”. Then suddenly one person would be holding me from the back and another opening my mouth wide open with his fingers. They then poured this dirty, rancid tasting liquid into my mouth. It was urine and they told me it was urine. Their urine, not mine. They just peed between them and they forced into my mouth two cans of their urine.

When they asked if I was hungry or not, I said “Of course, I am hungry”. Borhan told his officers to prepare tahi anjing (dog faeces) for me. It was near to my mouth, I could smell the stench.

And he threatened me that he wanted to use the syringe which contains HIV virus to be injected into my body because I told him, “You better kill me. What’s the point? What are you trying to prove? What are you doing here? Why are you so cruel?” I asked them. (He said) “Oh you wanna die, oh then we’ll kill you slowly, we’ll put the HIV virus into you”. Of course, they didn’t do that.

After about 5am, they stopped the beatings. I think they were also tired and went home.

On Sept 26, by mid-afternoon I was taken to Bukit Aman and placed in solitary confinement only to see sunshine on the 28th day of my detention. So if you ask what’s my feeling about that, (it was) very cruel and inhumane. (The police) are not human. I feel even animals have compassion. Even dogs know their masters and even dogs don’t bite any other people. They are worst than dogs. If people say they are anjing kerajaan (government dogs), I think at that time they were worse then dogs.

How were you treated there (in Bukit Aman)?

I wasn’t allow to contact anybody. A couple of days later before the 28th day, they asked if I wanted to see my family. Of course before meeting the family they would arrange a special session for me not to mention anything about what happened to me, not to give any hint that I was tortured and to show to the family that everything was okay and to convince my family (not to file) a habeas corpus (a court application challenging the detention) or else (I) will not be released. So the threat was there.

And I told my investigating officers in Bukit Aman that I was tortured in IPK (Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent headquarters) and I want to make a police report against Borhan, they said, “No, you don’t need to – we have already taken action against Borhan”. Which was, of course, not true.

I was not given any opportunity to lodge any report, not given any opportunity to meet my lawyer, no access to my family and I was only given medical attention a couple of days later in Bukit Aman.

I told the doctor and he checked me and it was confirmed in the medical report about the bruises on the left leg, the right leg, the abdomen… I complained to Dr Vasantha Ponniah about what happened to me and she had testified in court about my condition based on the bruises that I sustained.

(The) Special Branch (police) methodology is (to) give harsh treatment on the first day as a very strong reminder to the detainees that things are going to be worse if we fail to give our cooperation. It’s more psychological in nature. And of course in Bukit Aman it is already more institutionalised in terms of how they handle the detainees.

I was under solitary confinement, there was no sunshine, I did not know whether it was the morning, I did not know at all. On the 28th day, on the (day of) family visit when I was taken to IPK from Bukit Aman – I really appreciate the sunlight, it was wow, the beauty of the sunray. I tell you, it was beautiful.

What was interrogation like?

I was subjected to interrogation for 17 days on the third floor of the (Bukit Aman) building. They would ask me questions from the morning, afternoon, until evening and then sometimes, late in the night. Once when they were dissatisfied with what was going on outside where people were still gathering on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (and) in Kampung Baru, they were unhappy so they call me very late in the night for further interrogation until early morning.

During the course of the interrogation by Bukit Aman officers, the questions they asked day in and day out – questions about the reformasi movement, on Anwar Ibrahim, his relationship with this person and that person.

Then Nurul Izzah was meeting (deposed Philippines president Joseph) Estrada in the Philippines and (former US secretary of state) Madeline Albright. I was inside and the activities were outside, and they were asking me what was this Gerak (reformasi coalition) and that was formed, and about political reform, on PAS, on whether ISA should be abolished or not.

They denied me of utensils if they found I was not cooperative enough. (They would) pull out the mattress or take away the pillows. After the family visited, they told me I would only be detained for a month and they would release me. (They said) if I do not get the recommendation to release me, then they would extend it until the end, and it went on until the 57th day.

There were also days when they (did) nothing. They would send the food and at that time, I got food it was like packed rice and fish with maggots. That means it was done on purpose. I mean we were detainees and this food was supposed to be provided by the government … this means the state had provided me with rotten food.

What happened after your release?

I was released on Nov 21 and subjected to some kind of monitoring … appointed by the Special Branch to monitor my activities. I have to report to them and they even threatened me that I could even be re-arrested.

I must cooperate with them and the psychology was that they have the power to re-arrest me. So there was that constant fear in me of being re-arrested. It took me quite some time to gather the strength and courage to lodge a police report, and I arrived at that decision in March (1999).

What influenced me much more was when the government decided to form the royal commission on (Anwar’s black eye incident) when we read about the testimony of Dr Vasantha Ponniah. Then I remembered “Well, that’s the lady who treated me”. I thought that was some help. I thought that with the formation of the royal commission there will be some space to make a complaint.

From then on (during the trial), when I was cross-examined in the court, they asked me why I took such a long time. Well, this is not a road accident. This is something you have been tortured, subjected to. You need to rebuild that courage back.

Were you scared? Did you ever feel like giving up?

I tried not to look scared although I was very scared. I feel the Special Branch (officers) are almost everywhere. (I felt) intimidated but to regain that, you have to meet people, and you have to talk to people. Slowly, I started to tell people (about) what (had) happened in detention.

They were really surprised. Then friends convinced me – why not I speak out, and in February I spoke in an event organised by (opposition alliance Malaysian People’s Movement for Justice) Gerak by (the late former PAS president) Fadzil Noor in Kuala Lumpur’s Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in February 1999.

I regained my courage and you have to make the most of the (police) report. And you have the understanding that you (would) be accused of making a false report. I have to prepare a very lengthy police report and very detailed and an affidavit to file for the civil suit.

How does your family feel about all this?

They are used to what I have been doing. They are very supportive of my activities. The fact that my children and wife knew that I’ve already resolved to report (on) activities for the rights of the people, political activities or social activism.

They’ve been very supportive in the sense that there has been no resentment from my family.

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