KUALA LUMPUR – Despite being given the green light to cross district and state boundaries, elected opposition assemblymen and MPs seem to be facing difficulties in getting through police roadblocks.
This was made apparent today after the assemblyman for Bekok in Johor, Dr S Ramakrishnan, found himself being hauled to the Labis police station to explain his movement to another district.
He said he was on the way to Tangkak when he was asked to pull over at a roadblock along Jalan Muar, near Labis.
Ramakrishnan said he had presented his state assemblyman’s card to a policeman, but it was not accepted. He was also asked for his identity card (IC).
“He (policeman) went away with it (IC) and I don't know what he did,” Ramakrishnan told The Vibes when contacted this evening.
“When he returned, he asked me to follow him to the Labis police station.”
The DAP politician said this forced him to turn back 10km to meet the officer in charge there.
“I was asked to apply for a travel permit even though I have been travelling in and out of the area for the past nine months without any hindrance,” he said.
Ramakrishnan said he had refused to apply for the travel permit because it was not necessary as he would need to do so every time he crossed districts.
He said he explained to the officer that the minister of defence had announced earlier that MPs and assemblymen were allowed to enter and exit their constituencies to conduct their duties.
In April, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said the National Security Council (NSC) had approved inter-district and inter-state travel for elected representatives, but standard operating procedures (SOPs) disallowed them from holding large gatherings when handing out aid.
“The announcement was made in April that elected representatives can come and go, they (police) should know this,” said Ramakrishnan.
“After 20 minutes, the deputy officer in charge came and apologised and told me that I can go, and not to make it a big issue.”
In April, Klang MP Charles Santiago – also a DAP politician – was questioned by police for alleged violation of the movement control order (MCO) after he had handed out aid to some of his constituents in Taman Klang Utama.
Ramakrishnan and Santiago are among a string of opposition politicians to have been questioned by police over alleged offences related to movement restrictions.
The authorities have been accused of practicing double-standards when it came to leaders from the ruling Perikatan Nasional, some of whom have been moving without restriction.
In late October, police said no further action would be taken against cabinet minister and Pas politician Datuk Khairuddin Aman who skipped a mandatory quarantine order after a trip to Turkey in July. – The Vibes, November 18, 2020
