Aliran is deeply concerned at the incognito abduction of popular London-based Radio Free Sarawak deejay and democracy campaigner Peter John Jaban soon after his arrival in Miri.
Peter John Jaban
According to RFS founder-editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown, Peter John was abducted by a group of “three unidentified plainclothes personnel” after the car he was travelling in was intercepted on the route from Miri Airport into Miri town.
Commonly known by his moniker ‘Papa Orang Utan’, Peter, 48, was earlier detained in Kota Kinabalu Airport while on his way back to Miri for the Gawai Dayak Harvest Festival. There he was photographed and his documents photocopied by Kota Kinabalu police before being escorted onto his plane. He was also informed that he would be detained by Special Branch on his arrival in Miri.
Although Peter was met on arrival in Miri by a group of police personnel, no arrest was made as they apparently had not received any instructions to proceed with an arrest. This allowed Peter to leave the airport accompanied by Miri PKR leader Dr Michael Teo and DAP State Assembly member and lawyer Alan Ling. Their car, however, was later intercepted and Peter whisked away by the abductors who refused to disclose their identities.
Peter John’s only ‘crime’ is that he is critical of the deeply corrupt BN regime in Sarawak led by nepotistic Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. His popular Iban language radio call-in programmes, aired for two hours daily, have provided a platform for local people to speak out about their ongoing woes, about poverty, their lack of access to public infrastructure and amenities, deforestation, land grabs and ruthless BN leaders.
Miri Criminal Investigation Department (CID) deputy chief ASP Ooi Jin Bing has denied police involvement in Peter John’s abduction and disappearance. Ooi has also insisted that the three abductors were not police personnel.
Peter John’s current whereabouts remain unknown. He is known to be under medication for high blood pressure.
Aliran calls upon the Home Minister and police to immediately investigate Peter John’s mysterious abduction and disappearance. Failure on the part of the police to act decisively will only fuel damaging public suspicion and speculation that can only further erode public confidence in the police force’s integrity, professionalism and respect for democratic freedoms, human rights and the rule of law.
Aliran executive committee
31 May 2012
See also: Bruno Manser Fund statement on the abduction
The abduction of John by unknown kidnapper/abductors goes to say Nyau enda selamat diau di Malaysia diato,mulut enda Oleh Bjako,pama Bjako mimit kena tahan,kena isa,tang sida ke bukai maioh endar Penyalah enda Dianu,enda di tahan…munyi ko Jako mensia,sida ke ngecuri miMIT sebelah supermarket di jail betahun tahun tang sida ke ngecuri ber million million enda di tangkap,sida MaCc enggau Bala perintah end ask bakanya
Typin error> sida Bala perintah sida MaCc enda asi bakanya…(not as ask)
… the opposition there must get organized and get ready with subterfuge …
Clearly in this episode of ‘abduction’, Papa Orang Utan showed that the DAP in Sarawak were careless for their own security.
In these troubled and desperate time, (certain quarters are) about to do everything conceivable… I hope the DAP knows Sarawak has the biggest jungle in Malaysia.
I would not very surprised if the abductors were brought in from outside Malaysia from neighbouring countries. Perhaps, PAU has now been spirited outside our borders already.
It shows you how unprepared and inexperience the DAP fellows are. They are very juvenile but pompous in this game of antigonistic and dangerous politics.
They are not even prepared to protect themselves, much less protect the citizens of Malaysia. They should have shown that they at least have brains. Clearly, they were drugged by the own illusion of PAU’s publicity scoop for their political credentials.
They should have had a car full of reporters or private security following them enroute. Very simple, one unmarked car (or truck) each at 500 meters in the front and 500 meters behind. One of them can be similar looking with PAU’s car.
And PAU’s car in the middle. When PAU’s car is intercepted, they can execute evasive or interceptive actions on the intercepting car.
There are alternatives.
It can be like the police escorting flight risk prisoners. All the vehicles look the same, and even then, the prisoner could not be inside any of the vehicles with each of the vehicles going in different directions at the same time.
In this case, PAU chould also have a double switch at the airport. Confuse the observations of the criminals.
Hence, the DAP Sarawak is not up to the mark – Therefore, I fear that there will be or has been infiltration in DAP Sarawak leadership by (certain) elemenet because the leadership is not able to phathom the intricacies of Sarawak politics because carelessness has been reflected in this episode.
And what can a … ASP CID Head in the small town do? How much resources are at his disposal? Again the DAP Sarawak leadership forgot.
I do hope the Sarawak DAP Leaders do not rely too much celestial intervention in matters of politics. They should know politics usually means man are acting as overlords.
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