Activist arrested for disobeying police order to stop recording, court hears
Published on: Wednesday, June 26, 2024
By:
FMT, Ho Kit Yen
Wong Yan Ke was charged with disobeying a police officer’s order to stop broadcasting a Facebook Live video during a raid on former Umany president Yap Wen Qing’s home.
PETALING JAYA: A police officer told the magistrates’ court here that activist Wong Yan Ke was arrested for disobeying his order to stop making a recording.
Lee Robert said he was assigned, along with three other colleagues, to go to a house at Jalan 17/48 in Section 17, here, on Nov 7, 2020, to seize a mobile phone and laptop belonging to former Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) president Yap Wen Qing.
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At the time, Yap was being probed for sedition over a statement on the role of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Lee told the court that when he arrived at Yap’s house, lawyer Chong Kar Yan demanded that he produce a warrant showing his authority to seize the items.
“I told her that under the Sedition Act, a senior police officer above the rank of assistant superintendent does not need a warrant for seizure, but she was unsatisfied with my explanation.
“At the same time, the accused (Wong) came and started recording (Lee’s exchange with Chong), and I warned him to stop,” he said, adding that he remembered warning Wong that the latter’s action constituted obstruction of a public servant.
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Lee said Wong told him that the video “would be used for court”, after which the three officers with Lee arrested Wong and took away his phone.
Lee said Wong refused to cooperate with the police and would not give the password to unlock the phone.
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Deputy public prosecutor Asmaa Zamri played the video in court and asked Lee to point out when he warned Wong that recording them was an offence.
“I think I said that before he started recording,” Lee replied.
Wong, currently the Bersih deputy chairman, was charged with disobeying a police officer’s order to stop broadcasting a Facebook Live video during a raid on Yap’s home.
The hearing continues before magistrate Shahril Anuar Ahmad Mustapa on Thursday.
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