KUALA LUMPUR – The Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar today said that the police do not have a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) allowing them to seize media equipment including cameras or memory cards.

“There is no such thing, we act in accordance with the law,” said Ismail, stressing that the police acted professionally during the Bersih 3.0 on Saturday.

Ismail’s statement contradicted with what his boss, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, said yesterday.

Hishammuddin said that police had nothing to hide and it was part of the police’s SOP to seize camera equipment and memory cards.

“I don’t know. This is the standard operating procedure of police…,” he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital while visiting injured policemen and pressmen.

Hishammuddin, who said he hoped that allegations that journalists were being roughed up were not true, added that items seized from journalists would be returned to them.

At a press conference in Bukit Aman today, Ismail said: “Many journalists have claimed that they were punched by the police.

“I’m very concerned and we will investigate. I will be open, and investigate all accusations. Make police reports. Bring witnesses. Justice is for all.”

Ismail also denied that there were orders to seize media’s belongings. “Nobody gave such an order…,” he added.

“We will investigate and pass it to the DPP (deputy public prosecutor). I will be very fair to all. I give you that assurance, let the people judge then, don’t jump to conclusions.”

Harassed and assaulted

During the Bersih 3.0 rally, several media personnel were harassed and assaulted by the police.

Among them were Radzi Razak, a Sun journalist, who was allegedly beaten up by seven or eight police officers, despite identifying himself as a media member.

Arif Kartono, a photographer with The Malay Mail, was also allegedly assaulted by six uniformed police personnel and his camera was smashed.

Ashraf Shamsul Azlan, Arif’s colleage, also was threatened and had his memory card taken.

Koh Jun Lin, a photojournalist with online portal Malaysiakini, was arrested after taking photographs that allegedly showed police violence against protesters.

His camera and memory card were also confiscated. It was understood that Koh has got his camera back, but not his memory card.

P Malayandy, a photographer with Tamil newspaper Makkal Osai, was allegedly assaulted by about five policemen for taking pictures of police detaining protesters.

His RM7,000 camera was allegedly taken away by the police.

Al Jazeera correspondent Harry Fawcett alleged that he and his cameramen were shoved and their video camera smashed.

Huang An Jian, a photographer with Chinese newspaper Guang Ming Daily, was arrested while taking photographs of protesters being arrested.

Channel News Asia videographer Kenny Lew was allegedly punched by police, and had his tripod seized.

Chen Shaua Fui, assistant editor of news site Merdeka Review, claimed rough handling by four policemen who tried to snatch her camera.

When she produced her media accreditation card, it was kicked aside and she was threatened with arrest.

Lisa J  Ariffin, a journalist from The Malaysian Insider was reportedly hit by a tear gas canister aimed at the crowd.

However, there was also a report of a Al Hijrah videographer Mohd Azri Mohd Salleh, who was allegedly assaulted by protesters when he tried to shield a policeman. – FMT

Polis sepak tag media saya – Shaua Fui

Assistant Editor MerdekaReview (edisi bahasa Cina),  Chen Shaua Fui telah membuat laporan polis bahawa dirinya dikasari anggota polis ketika membuat liputan dalam perhimpunan BERSIH 3.0.  
Meskipun telah menyatakan identitinya sebagai seorang wartawan, namun Chen Shaua Fui tidak dikecualikan daripada dikasari.

Menurut Chen Shaua Fui (gambar kiri, sebelah kiri), empat orang anggota polis menuju ke arahnya apabila beliau menangkap gambar di tempat kejadian di mana polis menangkap orang.  Anggota polis tersebut cuba merampas bagnya.  Tag media yang dipakai pun ditarik sehingga putus.  Kemudian tag itu disepak oleh polis.

Chen berkata, tujuannya membuat aduan polis adalah supaya polis yang mengasarinya diambil tindakan.  Chen menegaskan bahawa polis seharusnya menjamin keselamatan pengamal media ketika menjalankan tugas, bukan mengugut dan mengancam wartawan di sebaliknya.

Beliau menggesa agar polis mengambil tindakan segera terhadap polis yang mencederakan pengamal media pada 28 April 2012, untuk menunaikan janji kerajaan yang mahu mewujudkan ruang media yang bebas.

Tidak kurang pengamal media yang tercedera ketika membuat liputan dalam perhimpunan BERSIH 3.0 pada 28 April 2012.  Antaranya jurugambar dari Guan Ming Daily, Nanyang Siang Pau, Sin Chew Daily dan Oriental Daily.  Wartawan media lain turut dikasari, sehingga ada yang cedera parah.

Yang berikut adalah kandungan aduan polis yang dibuat oleh Chen Shaua Fui pada 29 April 2012:

“Pada 28 April 2012, lebih kurang pukul 7.20 malam, semasa saya bertugas di Jalan Hang Lekiu, berdekatan dengan Segi College, bertentangan dengan Hussain Cafe, saya nampak lebih daripada sepuluh anggota polis yang berpakaian seragam sedang membuat tangkapan di Hussain Cafe.  

Saya pun berdiri di sana untuk menangkap gambar, beberapa daripada kumpulan anggota polis tersebut telah nampak saya dan berjalan menuju ke arah saya.  

Empat orang anggota polis lelaki telah menuju ke arah saya dan saya telah mengatakan saya adalah seorang wartawan, dan anggota polis tersebut, seorang telah memegang tangan kiri, seorang lagi memegang tangan kanan saya, seorang lagi cuba merampas bag saya.  

Saya memegang kamera saya di tangan kanan dan telefon bimbit di sebelah kiri saya, saya menanya kepada salah seorang anggota polis bahawa adakah saya ditangkap, tetapi beliau tidak memberi apa-apa jawapan.

Lepas itu, mereka cuba merampas kamera saya, dan tag media saya yang dipakai dengan tali telah ditarik putus dan tag media saya telah terjatuh di atas lantai, salah seorang anggota polis telah menyepak tag media tersebut ke sebelah saya, saya berjaya membebaskan diri daripada genggaman anggota polis tersebut, dan pergi mengutip tag media saya.  Lepas itu,anggota polis tersebut telah meninggalkan tempat tersebut.  

Tujuan saya membuat laporan ini adalah ingin menggesa pihak polis untuk mengambil tindakan terhadap kekerasan yang dilakukan oleh anggota polis tersebut.  Ini adalah kerana sebagai seorang wartawan saya berdiri di tempat kejadian adalah semata-mata untuk menjalankan tugas.” -Merdeka review