The five people were questioned at Dang Wangi police headquarters this afternoon for witness statements in connection with the gathering at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur, which Arutchelvan said went on with the police’s knowledge.

“We didn’t answer anything. We told them we will answer in court and that this is a waste of public funds,” he told FMT.

Similar gatherings, held to highlight issues surrounding workers’ rights and job security, were also held in George Town, Johor Bahru, Ipoh and Seremban, with less than 40 people at each rally.

Arutchelvan said the police only called up those from the Kuala Lumpur gathering. He said the event’s organisers had been in communication with the police before the gathering.

“We had a small group in Dataran. Everything ended smoothly and the police said we followed SOPs,” Arutchelvan told FMT after being questioned. He said the police at the gathering did not tell them to disperse.

Among the others called in were PSM members Sivarajan Arumugam and Nik Aziz Afiq, and activists Wong Yan Ke and Nalini Elumalai.

Arutchelvan said the move to call in the five amounted to harassment as their statements could have been recorded online.

“We were sent the notice for questioning last week but it did not mention what section we were being investigated under. Even now, we are not sure what is the offence, but it might be under the Peaceful Assembly Act.

“The only thing we were told is that we were being investigated after a report lodged by the police.”

“I agree that if the assembly creates havoc and the public report it, the police should investigate. But here, the police themselves are lodging a report and investigating their own report,” he said.