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KUALA LUMPUR Feb 18 - Police today detained 30 people including the Member of Parliament for Bukit Bintang Fong Kui Lun (DAP) who assembled in front of the Magnum Building in Jalan Pudu here for apparently ignoring police orders to disperse.
A spokesman of the Dang Wangi Police District Headquarters said the 30 included 10 women comprising teachers and students of the National Type Damansara (Chinese) School.
They were later released on police bail.
The spokesman said they were allowed to hold only a walkathon and march two by two without obstructing traffic, he added.
Speaking to reporters at the Dang Wangi Police Station, Fong said police had allowed the peaceful walkathon even though they did not receive any written permission.
"We walked peacefully and did not shout any slogans which can disturb the public peace. We are disappointed with the police action," he said.
Fong said the walkathon was organised by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the Puay Chai National Type (Chinese) School to express dissatisfaction over the relocation of the school.
"Police asked for our T-shirt bearing the slogan "Save Our School" as evidence for the arrest and further investigations," he said.
Meanwhile another group of 17 people, detained in Jalan Bangsar by Brickfields Police, were also released on police bail.
A total of 97 people took part in the walkathon which began at Kampung Brunei in Jalan Pudu and ended at the Damansara school.
PETALING JAYA: About 500 people, including groups from other states, turned up at SJK (C) Damansara yesterday to support a group of people taking part in the "Save Our School'' (SOS) walk from Kuala Lumpur.
The walk, which started at 8am in Pudu, covered 19km with 47 participants finishing it at the old Damansara school.
A total of 46 walkers were arrested during the walk in different parts of the city.
LONG TREK . . . some of the participants of SOS walk Sunday.
Among the first few participants who arrived were Eng Chin Siang, 62, of Setapak and his 11-year-old son Tian Cheng, 11.
"My son goes to SJK (C) Chong Hwa in Setapak but to save the Damansara school is the responsibility of the community,'' he said.
The Save the Damansara School committee adviser Ronnie Liu, who is the Selangor DAP deputy chief, said the groups came from as far as Johor, Penang and Perak to show their support.
Dong Zhong chairman Quek Suan Hiang said there had been 1,332 Chinese primary schools with 400,000 pupils in 1968 but there were only 1,284 schools for 600,000 pupils as at last year.
Just before the gathering ended, a group of local university students calling themselves "Universiti Bangsa Utama'' members gave a brief speech in a show of support.
They sang songs and later shouted reformasi and hidup rakyat.
Police later questioned them briefly but no arrests were made.
Walkathon participants treated like ‘criminals’
Ng Boon Hooi
5:57pm, Tue: The participants of the Save Our School walkathon last Sunday complained that they were treated like criminals by the police upon their arrest.
One of the detainees, Lim Soon Hong, 45, told journalists at a press conference today that the fingerprints of all 10 digits of those arrested were recorded in three separate documents. In addition, police also took mugshots of each participant.
About 100 people took part in the 18km walkathon, organised by Bukit Bintang DAP and the Red Rose Youth Centre. It kicked off from Jalan Pudu in the city to Damansara, where the Chinese school for which it is being held is located.
A total of 46 participants were arrested, 29 of whom were brought to the Dang Wangi police station while 17 were sent to the Brickfields police station.
The event was organised to support SRJK (C) Damansara in Petaling Jaya, the Chinese national-type primary school that was closed last month.
The students at the school had been directed by the Education Ministry to temporarily transfer to SRJK (C) Puay Chai (II) - a few kilometres away - while awaiting the completion of a new school in Tropicana.
However, the authorities have been unable to provide clear explanation as to what would happen to the 70-year-old school and its abandoned site. While the majority of the students have moved to Puay Chai (II), 67 have stayed put and are continuing their classes in a temple near the old school.
First-time arrest
Ng Chan You, 62, who was arrested for the first time, said that the participants were “frightened, hungry and thirsty”.
“We are not criminals, we merely want to save the school,” said Ng.
According to Lim, the participants were also ordered to give their Save Our School T-shirts they were wearing to the police as evidence.
Lim said that when the walkathon began at the Pudu Jail, a police officer warned the organisers that the distance between the walkers were too close.
Police officers were stationed along the route. A participant, requesting anonymity, said that the walkers were closely monitored.
“We were walking two by two and the distance between each couple was 20 feet. Suddenly, at one point, the police stopped us,” he said.
Ng added that it was natural that when walkers in front were stopped, those at the back would catch up with them.
“When we gathered around, the police quickly took photos of us,” said Ng.
Lim stressed that the participants were not holding any banners or shouting slogans.
“We came to show our support to the parents and the teachers who are fighting to keep the old Damansara school,” he said.
Police permit
Walkathon organiser David Mah said that the issue of police permit did not arise as it was only a walkathon. Nevertheless, he said that the police were informed about the event.
He said, the Dang Wangi police station did advise them not to proceed with the walkathon in a Feb 16 letter. However, the police did not give any reason for their disapproval.
“We did not accept the advice as we thought it was very irrational,” said Mah.
The 17 who were detained at the Brickfields police station were granted RM2,000 bail, while those in Dang Wangi were granted RM500 bail. Both groups must report to the police on March 4 and 5.