The Kuala Lumpur High Court today heard a journalist recounting his ordeal after he was arrested while covering an international conference on East Timor in 1996.

steven gan boon leong Taking the stand as the plaintiffs’ No 24 witness, Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan told the court he was not the only journalist arrested at today’s hearing of the RM83 million civil suit.

The suit was filed by 36 local activists and journalists against the government and police for wrongful detention and negligence after an Umno Youth-mob stormed into the conference .

Khairul nizam kamal Cross-examined by federal counsel Khairul Nizam Kamal ( photo ), Gan - who was then a journalist at English daily TheSun - said he had suffered back pain sleeping on the concrete floor of the cell during his five-day detention but did not make a complaint to the police.

“(I didn’t lodge any complaint) because there were so many other complaints we had at that time. The food, no water and the heat in the cell, so I thought it (the back pain) was not a major problem.

“It was very hot (in the cell) especially because it was highly-congested. In fact, as I stated in my witness statement, I had to strip myself down to my underwear to keep myself cool,” recalled Gan.

Before he began his testimony, Gan took the oath and told the court that he turned 46 today, and that he had incidentally spent his 34th birthday in the police lock-up 12 years ago.

‘I showed them my press tag’

The editor added that as a result of the arrest, he had to resign from his job soon after as he was “ostracised” by his colleagues who refused to talk to him and some of his articles not published.

To another question from Khairul Nizam, the witness said he and two other foreign journalists who were also detained had protested to the police on their arrests, but to no avail.

“I did inform the police (that I was a journalist) and in fact, I even showed them my press tag [...] This was not the first time that journalists had been arrested for doing their job, there was a Malaysiakini journalist arrested only last night,” Gan pointed out.

Justice Wan Adnan Muhamad, who appeared interested with the witness’ remark, asked Gan about the latest incident.

Gan explained he was referring to the arrest of Malaysiakini videographer Shukri Mohamad, along with 22 other individuals, while covering a candlelight vigil by polls reform group Bersih in Petaling Jaya last night.

Syukri was released this morning on a police bail but have been asked to report back to the PJ district police station later this month. His video camera and footages on the arrests have been confiscated.

“I respect the police for doing their job professionally and I hope that they will accord the same respect to journalists.”

On hearing this, justice Wan Adnan quipped: “I understand your grumble but I am not going to record this (into the notes of proceedings).”

Apart from Gan, another journalist who took the stand this morning was online paper The Nut Graph editor Jacqueline Ann Surin, 38, who was a journalist with Star in 1996.

Surin, who was detained for one day, however told the court that she was off duty on the day as she had applied for leave to be a volunteer for the Apcet II conference.

Apart from the duo, six others plaintiffs’ witnesses who testified today were conference organisers and participants, Cynthia Gabriel, Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud, V Selvam, Yap Swee Seng, Tan Chin Hong and Liaw Say Lian.

Six witnesses ‘missing’

apcet 2 hearing day 3 080306 ranjit singh The hearing was adjourned to an unfixed date later after the plaintiffs’ counsel Ranjit Singh ( left ) informed the court that his team had difficulty in closing the plaintiffs’ case as they could not locate six final witnesses.

He appealed to the judge to allow the plaintiffs a “last chance” to try to contact them, failing which, he said his team will be bound by the judge’s finding in the absence of these witnesses.

“I would like to apply for the court dates from Tuesday to Thursday to be vacated because there are four witnesses who are overseas and two could not be located in time,” said Ranjit, referring to the hearing which was supposed to continue for another three days.

The judge later granted the application and postponed the hearing to a date to be fixed later.

Three defendants, all former police officers, who were named in the suit were also present at the hearing today - then Kuala Lumpur chief police officer Ismail Che Rose, Dang Wangi OCPD Zainal Abidin Ali and investigating officer Tengku Hamzah Tengku Abdullah.

apcet ii hearing mob photos 100306 sequence On Nov 9, 1996, over 100 people - including 10 journalists - were arrested on the opening day of the Second Asia Pacific Conference on East Timor (Apcet II) at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, held to discuss human rights abuses in East Timor and its struggle for independence from Indonesia.

As the conference was about to begin, 400 members from the Umno Youth-led Malaysia’s People’s Action Front, broke down the doors of the conference hall, threw chairs and verbally and physically abused the participants.

Police them moved in to arrest the participants, claiming they had refused to disperse. The participants were detained between one and six days, while 40 foreign participants were deported.

Star witness Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who was then Umno Youth secretary, had earlier testified that the mob was acting on the instructions of then deputy home minister Megat Junid Megat Ayob to stop the conference.

Apart from Gan, Malaysiakini chief executive officer Premesh Chandran, also a journalist at TheSun then, is also among the plaintiffs.

SPECIAL REPORT: Apcet II trial