Suaram strongly condemns the intimidation by the police before and during its three-day exhibition in Penang on deaths and torture in police custody.
These actions not only disrupt civil society’s efforts to promote accountability but also create a chilling effect on public discourse about critical human rights issues.
The night before the exhibition, multiple visits were made by different groups of police officers, amounting to over 10 officers in total from Northeast Penang Police headquarters and the central police station under its jurisdiction, including the station head.
They photographed exhibition props, subjected Suaram staff to heavy questioning, and attempted to take the identity cards of all staff members.
The officers claimed that the simulated logo could “confuse the public,” despite it being a symbolic exhibition prop meant to facilitate discussions on police accountability.
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Separately, they insisted that a “permit” was required for our banner, which was not even displayed and only temporarily placed outside alongside other props during the venue set-up.
On the morning of the first day of the exhibition, 19 December, police patrol cars were observed patrolling the area. This was followed by a continuous heavy presence of police officers outside the venue, with officers repeatedly attempting to enter the exhibition space.
Such police intimidation is unwarranted, particularly when the exhibition content is grounded in publicly available investigation findings by the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission into the death of S Balamurugan in police custody.
Notably, similar exhibitions that were held in Selangor and Johor this year faced no such intimidation. These past exhibitions even fostered constructive engagements with former and current commissioners from the EAIC and Independent Police Conduct Commission, who visited the exhibitions and participated as panel members in forums on police accountability held alongside the events.
This latest incident mirrors the 2021 police raid on Freedom Film Network and Suaram over the screening of Chilli Powder and Thinner, an animated feature depicting the torture in custody of Ang Kian Kok, who testified to Balamurugan’s death.
Both incidents reflect an unchanged and unconstructive police response to civil society efforts in highlighting systemic abuse, even when these efforts align with credible investigations and serve the public interest.
Such actions undermine freedom of expression on issues of deaths and torture in custody, while undermining the police’s own commitments to addressing these human rights violations.
Suaram calls on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to immediately eliminate longstanding practices of police surveillance and intimidation against civil society organisations and members of the public for raising critical human rights and institutional reform issues that include police accountability.
If left unaddressed, the prime minister’s commitments to addressing deaths in police custody – including public statements on Suhakam Day and the establishment of the special taskforce on deaths in custody – risk being undermined. This will erode public trust in the Madani government’s commitment to institutional reform. – Suaram
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