Jan 31, 2003
[Scene: Petrof enters the Dang-dat-Wang Police Station. Entering through a busy entryway, he opens the door to a large office, where many people stand three deep at the long counter. Petrof waits quietly at the back, eventually taking an empty seat.The people are filing police reports.]
Woman: I want to know why nothing has been done.
Policewoman: We are investigating. The investigation is not complete.
Woman: What is there to investigate? My daughter has been raped repeatedly by your uniformed officers. She is a child, only thirteen years old. We have returned all the way from the Philippines. We have identified the officers, and given a complete written report. Why has nothing been done?
Policewoman: As I said, we are investigating. You need to be patient. There are other considerations to take into account.
Man: Why has the minister not been interviewed? I have been swindled out of RM100 million, and you don't even seem to care.
Policeman: You are making serious charges against a government officer. Have you considered the possible consequences of that?
Man: What? What did you say? You are threatening ME! I came here to report a major crime, corruption in the highest levels of the government ... I have all the proof that is needed, and you are warning me? In the face of my truth you are issuing an intimidating threat? What kind of justice do you have in this country?
Policeman: I must remind you there are laws ... laws against sedition, which is a serious crime.
Man: You are accusing me of sedition? When I am reporting corruption in the government?
Policeman: I didn't say that. I just remind you, that is all. After all, this is a police station, and there are lots of witnesses to every word you say.
Woman2: I want to find out what has happened to my son.
Policeman2: When did you see him last?
Woman2: It was during the Medan riots. He was arrested after the riots by the police.
Policeman2: What day was that?
Woman2: I don't remember the date, but it was after the Medan riots. It was during the period when pillion riders struck pedestrians from behind with parangs.
Policeman: Have you filed a police report?
Woman2: Yes. I have been here numerous times, but never get any answer. I just want to know what has happened to my son.
Policeman2: Do you have a copy of the report with you?
Woman2: Yes, here it is.
Policeman2: Let me keep this for a few days. Then come back and I'll try to have an answer for you.
Woman2: Thank you, officer. His name is Harithuni Sattiswarmy.
Policeman2: I see that. It is given here in the report. Another missing Indian case.
[An hour passes, while numerous matters are brought to the attention of the officers of the national police, faithfully performing their duty for the people. Finally Petrof sees an officer who is not occupied.]
Petrof: Excuse me, Officer!
Policeman3: Me? You are speaking to me? What do you want?
Petrof: Yes, Officer ... I have been waiting over an hour.
Policeman3: What do you want? Do you want to make a report?
Petrof: No, I am Petrof.
Policeman3: Is that your full name?
Petrof: No. My full name is Petrof bin Hajji Petrof.
Policeman3: I see. Petrof, what do you want the police to do?
Petrof: I am Petrof. Does that mean anything to you?
Policeman3: No. Should it?
Petrof: Yes. I heard that you are looking for me.
Policeman3: Why are we looking for you?
Petrof: Because I have written a letter.
Polcieman3: What kind of letter? And why would that cause us to look for you?
Petrof: Because it is a seditious letter, and it was published.
Policeman3: How do you know it is seditious? Where was it published?
Petrof: I was told that the police had determined that the letter was seditious, or at least were investigating that possibility.
Policeman3: And where was this seditious letter published?
Petrof: In an online newspaper.
Policeman3: That is not a crime. Everything on the internet is seditious these days. We don't bother with those things.
Petrof: But what about the computers? You took the computers.
Policeman3: Are you talking about Malaysiakini?
Petrof: Yes. I am Petrof, the writer of the letter.
Policeman3: And you are here for what?
Petrof: I am here because I understand you want me.
Policeman3: Why would we want you?
Petrof: Because I wrote a seditious letter that was published, published in the online newspaper Malaysiakini.
Policeman3: Who told you to come here?
Petrof: No one told me to come here. I came out of a sense of civic duty.
Policeman3: Are there any newspaper journalists with you?
Petrof: No. At least I don't think so. Why?
Policeman3: Who are those people over there, with the cameras?
Petrof: I have no idea. I have never seen them before in my life.
Policeman3: Wait here. [leaves]
[Petrof waits for an hour]
[enter Policeman3]
Policeman3: What! You are still here?
PetrofYes, Officer. I thought you wanted me to wait.
Policeman3: OK. Come with me.
Petrof: What for?
Policeman3: There is someone who wants to talk to you.
[Petrof follows the policeman into a small room]
Detective: Please sit down.
Petrof: Thank you.
[Petrof sits]
Detective: You are Petrof?
Petrof: Yes.
Detective: You are the Petrof who wrote the letter?
Petrof: Yes.
Detective: Do you have proof of your identity?
Petrof: Yes, I have my national identity card.
Detective: Let me see it please.
[Petrof takes his ID card from his wallet, gives it to the detective]
Detective: This doesn't look like you.
Petrof: It is an old picture.
Detective: Do you have any other proof that you are Petrof?
Petrof: I have some credit cards, and my driver's licence.
Detective: Let me see those.
[Petrof hands them over]
Detective[to policeman3] Get an imprint of these. [to Petrof] Is there any limit left on those cards?
Petrof: Why are you asking?
Detective: It is part of the investigation. We have to be thorough. What is the limit, and what is the balance?
Petrof: I don't remember.
Detective: What are the passwords for the credit cards?
Petrof: I won't say. Passwords are private, for security. Surely you understand that.
Detective: We are interested in your financial affairs.
Petrof: What do my financial affairs have to do with the letter I wrote?
Detective: You never know. We investigate everything.
Petrof: Well, here I am. What do you want with me?
Detective: We are investigating that right now. Actually, we can't be certain you are the Petrof we want.
Petrof: Why not?
Detective: Well you are one Petrof. But the letter writer may be someone else, using the pen name Petrof. We must investigate that.
Petrof: But I told you .. I am the letter writer.
Detective: How can we be certain of that? The letter writer might be someone else, some one anonymous, using the name Petrof.
Petrof: No, No .. I am Petrof .. the real Petrof. The genuine article. And I wrote the letter.
Detective: Can you prove it?
Petrof: I suppose so, there is a copy of the letter on my computer.
Detective: That is not proof.
Petrof: Why not?
Detective The courts have ruled that anyone could use your computer, sending the letter by email to Malaysiakini.
Petrof: But that's not what happened. I wrote the letter. I sent it to Malaysiakini.
Detective: But they won't give us your email address. That is the problem.
Petrof: That is because it is a matter of principle with them. They cannot reveal their sources. It is not so much that they are being difficult, it is that they respect the right of people to submit letters using anonymous names.
Detective: That is what has been done in this case.
Petrof: No it isn't. I relieve them of any necessity to protect me. I am Petrof. I wrote the letter. My email is Petrof@yahoo.com. What else do you want?
Detective: Unfortunately, we cannot take your statement as valid.
Petrof: Why not? What can I do to convince you?
Detective: Nothing, I'm afraid. Your confession would be acceptable, but for one small matter.
Petrof: What small matter?
Detective: Your confession is voluntary.
Petrof: Certainly it is voluntary. What is wrong with that?
Detective: In our experience, voluntary confessions cannot be relied on. They are always just fabrications to escape punishment.
Petrof: So you prefer involuntary confessions?
Detective: Certainly. Involuntary confessions are always more reliable.
Petrof: But I thought involuntary confessions are not admissible as evidence.
Detective: They are here.
Petrof: How is that possible?
Detective: Easy. We introduce them as voluntary.
Petrof: How can you do that?
Detective: We get a voluntary statement from the suspect to that effect.
PetrofAnd the judge accepts that as evidence?
Detective: Every time.
Petrof: Can I give you a voluntary statement that my confession is voluntary?
Detective: Unfortunately not. It is good of you to offer, but the procedure is invalid.
Petrof: What is invalid about it?
Detective: It fails the test of involuntariness. The confession itself is voluntary, and therefore the statement verifying its voluntariness is suspect. No judge would accept that without further evidence.
Petrof: Isn't my statement good enough? I mean, I am right here, telling you that I am the writer. Isn't that good enough?
Detective: I'm sorry, no. We know that your intent is good, but you cannot help us.
Petrof: Why not?
Detective: You see, Malaysiakini has published a seditious letter, and there has been a police report filed. We must investigate that report.
Petrof: I am here to save you a lot of time.
Detective: Thank you. But we must make our own investigation. To do that we must look into the matter of anonymity in the letters published in Malaysiakini.
Petrof: You mean you want to investigate Malaysiakini, and not the writer of the seditious letter?
Detective: If there is an intent to encourage and propagate sedition, we must take note of that intent.
Petrof: I'm sorry, but I am confused. I thought you were interested in the writer of the seditious letter, and I am that person.
Detective: It all depends, Petrof.
Petrof: What does that mean? Please be specific.
Detective: Do you plan to continue writing letters to Malaysiakini, or any other online newspaper or web page?
Petrof: I don't know. It all depends.
Detective: What does that mean? Please be specific.
Petrof: What are you going to do to me? Am I under arrest?
Detective: Why would we arrest you? What have you done?
Petrof: I wrote the letter, the seditious letter, the one that was published in the online newspaper Malaysiakini.
Detective: That is yet to be determined. Our investigation will determine the facts about that.
Petrof: It also depends on what you are calling sedition, the crime of sedition. I mean, what the definition of sedition is in law. If you are going to consider everything I write seditious, I may not write any more letters.
Detective: Now you are using your head.
Petrof: But I might continue writing, but only as fiction. Poems, plays, satirical pieces, things like that. But nothing factual, you understand. That wouldn't be considered seditious, would it?
Detective: That depends.
Petrof: Depends on what? Please be specific.
Detective: What is seditious is not up to the police. It must be determined by the judge who presides over the case.
Petrof: But how can I find out if something is seditious until I write it? Is there a department for that? I don't want to be found seditious.
Detective: If it is unclear to you, you should consider not writing anything in the future.
Petrof: Wait. If I write something and don't publish it anywhere, is that seditious?
Detective: That probably depends on whether anyone reads it or not.
Petrof: You mean that if not many people read it, it is not seditious?
Detective: I didn't say that. If it is seditious, it is still seditious, but probably no one will make a report.
Petrof: And you will not act, you will not investigate, without a report?
Detective: By law, we cannot act without a written report.
Petrof: But if there is a written report, then you will investigate. Is that what you are saying?
Detective: Generally, yes. But there are exceptions.
Petrof: Exceptions? You mean sometimes you will investigate without a written report on file ... or that you will investigate when the report is not from a credible person? Or perhaps that you will sometimes not investigate if your superiors tell you not to?
Detective: I prefer not to be specific.
Petrof: I have confessed that I am the writer of the letter. And I have given you my email address. Can you release all the Malaysiakini computers now?
Detective: They will be released when all the information necessary for our investigation is complete.
Petrof: When will that be?
Detective: It is impossible to say for certain, but it will probably be within in the next few weeks.
Petrof: Am I under arrest? Or may I go now?
Detective: No, you aren't under arrest. You may go, but we need to have your address. And let us know if you move.
Petrof: I live at #49 Jalan Maharaja Utama
Detective: Is that where your computer is?
Petrof: Yes.
Detective: OK, that's all. You may go. Thanks for coming in.
Petrof: May I have my credit cards and ID back?
Detective: Oh, yes, sorry. I almost forgot.
[opens desk drawer, hands Petrof his cards]
[exit Petrof; the policemen smile]
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