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PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Bar Association says that recording a police raid is not a crime.
Its president, Salim Bashir, said that student activist Wong Yan Ke did not violate the law when he registered the police raid on the home of a fellow activist as his actions did not invoke any form of violence that obstructs the duties of public servants.
He expressed concern about the lack of discretion of the police in this matter and asked the officers to exercise their discretion in a proportionate and reasonable manner in all situations.
“As long as the police officers carry out their duties in accordance with the law, there is no reason for concern for them to prevent the recording.
“It cannot and should not be construed as an aggressive or threatening action that would result in a crime under Section 186 of the Penal Code,” it said in a statement.
Salim noted that law enforcement officers in other countries, such as the US and the UK, also used body and dash cameras to record public interactions and prevent police misconduct.
He added that in September last year, Police Inspector General Abdul Hamid Bador had also said that the use of body cameras would ensure transparency in the police force.
“The police are essential to improve security and increase public confidence. The Malaysian Bar Association urges the police to exercise their legal discretion in a proportionate and reasonable manner in each and every situation. “
Wong, former president of the Malaya University New Youth Association (Umany), was arrested yesterday after recording a police raid on the home of the movement’s current president, Robin Yap Wen Qing. He was released today.
Yap and his vice president, Tan Li Yuan, are being investigated for alleged sedition and misuse of network facilities in connection with a statement by Umany on the constitutional role of Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The group had published an article titled “Yang di-Pertuan Agong should not intervene in national affairs” on its Facebook page last week.
