Penang government comes to defence of Voluntary Patrol Team

The DAP-led Penang government today came to the defence of its Voluntary Patrol Team (PPS) whose leader and 156 of its members were arrested by the police on Sunday.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng challenged Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar to an open debate on the matter.

The police arrested 156 PPS members and its chairman, State Executive Councillor for Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Phee Boon Poh, after the Merdeka Day parade.

They also recorded statements from Lim and Seri Delima state assemblyman RSN Rayer. Lim was at the North East District Police headquarters up to 3.30 am.

Khalid, on his Twitter account on Sunday, asked those responsible for the PPS to surrender themselves before the police raided their homes.

It is said that the police had acted against the PPS as it was not registered with the Registrar of Societies (RoS) and Khalid had stated that the PPS was unlawful.

Lim maintained that the PPS came under the jurisdiction of the DAP-led state government and that it would defend the members of the team.

Meanwhile, North East District Police chief ACP Mior Faridalatrash Wahid said three of the 136 PPS members still under detention tested positive for the drug methamphetamine.

Twenty PPS members, among them seven women and those aged 60 and above, were released on police bail Sunday night.

He said the police also found that several of the detained PPS members had criminal records and were also on the police wanted list.

Mior Faridalatrash said the police were trying to obtain an order to remand those detained.

A large crowd had gathered at the North East District Police headquarters where 20 lawyers led by Gobind Singh Deo, Ramkarpal Singh Deo and Rayer, were seen entering the premises this morning.

In KUALA LUMPUR, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said the police had not overreacted in arresting the PPS members.

He said the unregistered entity was seen to be taking over the duty of the police in maintaining security in Penang and this could pose a security threat to the public.

"It (PPS) has grown into a structured, uniformed team, complete with ranks," he said, adding that he felt that it was an offence for such a team to undertake policing and traffic control.

Khairy, who spoke to reporters after participating in an aerobics exercise programme organised by Era FM radio, said it would be proper for such a team to be registered and for the public to be informed of its existence.

Last Thursday, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar explained that the federal government did not allow any state to set up its own security force because security came under the jurisdiction of the federal government.

The PPS issue came to the fore after a social activist claimed to have been assaulted by members of the team for having allegedly criticised the state government on Facebook.

Last Wednesday, the Penang Police headquarters said it had received 16 reports against the PPS and that it would initiate an investigation.