PETALING JAYA: Three Temiar Orang Asli were remanded for two days by the Gerik magistrate’s court following their arrests yesterday during a police operation to take down a blockade the community had rebuilt at Kampung Sungai Papan in Gerik.
The remand order was issued by magistrate Norhidayati Mohammad Nasroh, and will end tomorrow.
The application was made by the police to assist in their investigation into a blockade set up to keep loggers out of the Kampung Sungai Papan area.
The Temiar community had claimed that the loggers were encroaching on native customary land.
The three men who were arrested are Johari Aleuj, Pam Yeek and Shukri Man.
Police also confiscated five motorcycles and a camera during the arrest.
The three were initially released after Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy urged the police not to favour the loggers.
Gerik district police chief Supt Ismail Che Isa reportedly said that police would be seeking the remand under Section 341 of the Penal Code for wrongfully restraining others.
