Police say Op Songsang followed SOPs and detainees were held within the legal 24-hour window despite allegations.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has stressed that there was no abuse of power in the enforcement of Op Songsang, refuting recent claims that detainees were intentionally held for more than 24 hours.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus said the processes involving documentation, remand applications and bail arrangements required additional time, due to the large number of individuals detained and the involvement of many lawyers.
“When we are unable to obtain a remand order, we cannot simply release the detainees immediately. We must first complete the profiling process,” he said at a press conference after officiating the Merentas Cabaran, Memacu Kesejahteraan Series 3 programme, themed ‘Unity for Safety’, here, today.
Clarifying the situation that occurred during the operation last Friday, Fadil said that all legal procedures and documentation were carried out in accordance with established standard operating procedures (SOPs).
He said that the raid began at 8 pm, and the initial processes at the scene, and subsequently at the district police headquarters (IPD), took considerable time, with the official police report only completed by 12 noon the following day.
“The period that has been perceived as a delay is actually a critical phase of the process which cannot be avoided. Once the investigation papers were completed at 1 pm, we had to upload the remand application data into the system between 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm.
“The remand application was then brought before the Magistrate at 6 pm. If calculated from the time of arrest, we were still well within the valid 24-hour window. However, because the proceedings began at 6 pm and involved a large number of detainees, as well as the presence of 14 lawyers, the process continued into the night before it was fully completed,” he said.
Fadil also rejected allegations of ‘double standard’ treatment towards those detained.
Commenting on claims that police had intentionally exposed the identities of detainees, allegedly jeopardising their careers, he stressed that police investigations are confidential, and that any official statements issued were based solely on general case facts, without disclosing specific personal information.
He added that the investigation is still ongoing, with police continuing to gather information and evidence before making recommendations for possible charges.
“If there is sufficient basis, we will refer the investigation paper to the Deputy Public Prosecutor, with recommendations for further action,” he said.
Last Friday, 17 civil servants were among 208 individuals arrested during a police raid on a health club in the Chow Kit area, believed to be a hotspot for immoral activities.
The two-storey premises had been operating for the past eight to 10 months, opening from 5 pm to 11 pm on weekdays and from 3 pm to 11 pm on weekends.
Following the raid, several parties made various allegations claiming police misconduct and abuse of power in handling the detained individuals.
