5 Orang Asli lodge complaint with Bukit Aman after Perak police turn them away

After being barred by Perak police from lodging a report, a group of Temiar Orang Asli from the state filed a complaint with the police disciplinary board at the Bukit Aman police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today. One of the Orang Asli, Anjang Aluej, said the villagers from Kampung Sungai Papan had wanted to lodge a report against an assemblyman for firing his gun into the air while on a visit to their village on January 19. The assemblyman had gone to the village to observe the installation of a generator and had fired the shot without any provocation. Five villagers, including three witnesses to the incident, then went to lodge a police report but were turned away at the Gerik police station and again at the Lenggong police station. Anjang told reporters at Bukit Aman today that the Orang Asli were harassed and threatened with arrest. "One officer said to me, 'you are still young. Don't follow in the footsteps of (those who are in lock-up). Do you want to go in? I can arrest you today. If I follow my heart, I will kick you in immediately'." He said the group felt it had no choice but to lodge a complaint with the police headquarters. The Orang Asli today said that during the visit, the assemblyman had been accompanied by two bodyguards who were not in uniform. While there, he decided to look at a new water tank and became angry when he discovered it was installed under a project that involved opposition party DAP, Anjang said. "Suddenly there was a gun in his hand and he fired a shot. I was frightened, we live in a kampung so I have never heard a gunshot before," said villager Mohammad Lokman, who was a witness of the scene. The assemblyman was also overheard saying as he walked back to his car, "Whose dog is this? I want to shoot". The assemblyman then put the pistol in his pocket and entered his car. Although no one was injured, three young children were bathing at a nearby river accompanied an adult at the time, the villagers said. The children ran away and hid behind the water tank, one of them crying in fright when they heard the gunshot. – January 26, 2016.