Malaysian Government and KDN are still uncertain whether to charge the 3 KOMAS human rights activist Ms Anna Har (KOMAS Board of Director), Mr Arul Prakkash (Executive Director) and Ms Lena Hendry (KOMAS Programme officer).They were arrested on 3rd July 2013 during the screening of the film “No Fire Zone, the Killing Fields of Sri Lanka”. The film screening was raided by KDN, Police and Immigration department. They were questioned for more than 3 hours on the night of 4th July 2013 and released by police bail to appear at the Magistrates’ Court on 6th August,9am.

On 22nd July, 2013,KOMAS Director Tan Jo Hann was summoned by KDN and gave statement to Kementerian Dalam Negeri (Home Ministry) Bahagian Kawalan dan Penapisan Filem dan Penguatkuasaan Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.

All the Komas members who were arrested received were informed by Akilah Binti Bakri (KDN,Investigating officer) on 30th July,2013 that their bail would be further extend when the bail period ends on 6 August, 2013. After consulting KOMAS legal counsel, the 3 decided not to extend the bail but chose to appear in court on 6 August, 2013 at 9am to appeal against the arrest.

On 5th August, 2013 Pusat Komas, Executive Director Arul Prakkash received a call from Akilah Binti Bakri (KDN,Investigating officer) asking all 3 not to appear in court on 6 August as no charges has been filed yet and that KDN would be contacting the 3 after the Hari Raya holidays.

We find this form of harassment and delaying tactics seems to be a tactic to intimidate or target civil society organizations who are actively promoting and ensuring the right to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of association being upheld in Malaysia.

We strongly urge the KDN and the Attorney General Chambers to immediately drop the case against the KOMAS and the 3 arrested members; and cease all investigations into the incident. We feel there is no need to prolong this case without any concrete reasons and proper charges.

In the first place the raid of the film screening on July 3rd was already baseless and the arrest of the 3 were obviously totally unnecessary. To further prolong this travesty of justice only proves than the KDN and also the AG Chambers have breached the internationally accepted principle of free specch, assembly and association, which incidentally is provided under Article 10 of the Malaysian constitution.

Issued by,
Tan Jo Hann, Director,
Pusat Komas Sdn.Bhd.
Email: jotan@pc.jaring.my
h/p: 019-2i45451
tel/fax: 03-79685415