Merdeka eve incidents: Teen turns herself in

A 19-year-old from Johor Bahru has turned herself in to police in relation to an alleged controversial incident during the Janji Demokrasi rally on the eve of Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur.

She is one of the 11 individuals being sought by the police to provide statements.

Accompanied by Johor DAP leaders, including Bakri MP Er Teck Hwa (left) and deputy state chief Norman Fernandez, she went to Johor Bahru Central police station this morning.

The teenager was later detained and handcuffed by the police.

She will be escorted to Dang Wangi police station in Kuala Lumpur which is investigating the incident.

According to Fernandez, who is also her lawyer, she has been detained under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948.

She is alleged to have stepped on photographs of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife during the rally.

Fernandez told Malaysiakini that the teenager had explained to the police that she had gone to Dataran Merdeka with a group of friends from Johor Bahru, for the countdown to Merdeka Day.

“She was just one of those who walked over the photographs,” he said when contacted, adding that she is not a member of any political party.

According to him, the police attempted to take the teenager to her house to secure the red t-shirt she had worn that night but was told that she had sent it to a laundry.

‘Forgive and forget’

He earlier told reporters at the police station: "Najib should be magnanimous in forgiving and forgetting the incident.

“Why must (the police) charge her when there are more serious incidents - such as urinating on (Kelantan Menteri Besar) Nik Abdul Aziz (Nik Mat)'s photo, hanging up a garlanded photo of (Penang Chief Minister) Lim Guan Eng and burning of (Bersih co-chairperson) S Ambiga's photograph?"

Yesterday, a college student was arrested for allegedly flashing his bare butt over Najib's photographs at the same event, but charges have yet to be brought against him.

The police had circulated photos of the 11 individuals for alleged involvement in several incidents, including displaying a ‘new national flag' dubbed Sang Saka Malaya.

They were warned that arrest warrants would be issued if they fail to come forward to assist the investigations.

Meanwhile, Selayang PKR Youth chief Rahimi Ibrahim lodged a police report against those photographed stepping on pictures of PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng, Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad.

Rahimi also urged action on individuals photographed urinating on the pictures of PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

Lodging his report at the Rawang police station, Rahimi said he saw photographs of the incidents on social networking site Facebook.