Arrested Development

Technorati tags: Police, Intimidation, PDRM, Harassment, Politics, PKR, Nathaniel Tan

Walski's Hat-tip notice: to Rocky for alerting Walski to this (but unfortuNATely Walski was about to leave from the office from home, hence this late posting).

UPDATE @ 2231 hrs: The police have FINALLY 'fessed up that they actually have Nat in custody (hat-tip: Mob1900). Walski is somewhat relieved that at least it's not a kidnapping...

Nathaniel Tan, PKR webmaster, and a blogger brethren, was reportedly picked up by 3 plainclothes policemen this afternoon to "talk about the Internet" (source: Polytikus).

However, according to a Malaysiakini news report from 5:40pm today quoted Nat's lawyer as saying that Bukit Aman has denied picking Nat up.

His lawyer Latheefa Koya told malaysiakini that according to a special branch officer known only as inspector William, there were no records of Tan being brought to Bukit Aman.

“We have also checked with Malaysian Control Centre (MCC) which is under the Bukit Aman to no avail. Instead, they advised us to make a police report,” she said.

Latheefa added that they were attempting to lodge a police report over Tan’s "kidnapping."
(source: Malaysiakini [subscription required])

Nathaniel, who is a PKR information bureau staff, also helps maintain the party's website. Is this a case of intimidation against members of the opposition?
(more in the full post)

Other blogs that have reported on this, and are keeping close tabs on the development of this alledged arrest include, among others:
- Bobjots
- Elizabeth Wong
- Infernal Ramblings
- Ktemoc Konsiders
- Mahaguru58
- Malaysia-Today
- Mob1900
- Politics 101
- Polytikus
- Rocky's Bru
- The Sensintrovert
- Susan Loone's "may the truth save us all"
- Tian Chua
- Whatever

Is this the kind of tolerance that Kofi Annan thinks exists in Malaysia, making us a model country? Model country for successful intimidation tactics on the opposition, perhaps. And just who were the 3 persons who took Nat into custody?

Walski's prayers go out to Nat, and hopes that he's safe and sound. Elizabeth has filed (or is in the process of) a police report, as advised by Bukit Aman, who don't seem to "know".

myAsylum will keep close watch on this incident, and post any updates, as and when they occur.