Grandmothers suspected of being part of secession group freed

KOTA KINABALU, Feb 10, 2015:

After four days in detention, five activists arrested in Lahad Datu for their suspected involvement in the Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia (SSKM) group were released this morning.

SSKM is a group seeking to secede from Malaysia, reportedly due to the alleged unfair treatment by the federal government.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman confirmed that the five, comprising grandmothers Rosina Avellinus and Mary Regina, as well as Mohd Rizwan, Wilson J Moduyin and Milin Biok, aged between 22 and 59, were released on RM2,000 police bail each.

They were nabbed by police last Saturday while filling up their car tanks at a petrol kiosk in Lahad Datu for suspicion in involvement in the Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia (SSKM) group.

This is the second arrest involving activists.

The first was on Feb 1, when nine people were arrested while soliciting signatures for a petition seeking the secession of Sabah at the weekly tamu (open market) in Tuaran about 10am.

Aged between 24 and 50, they were released on RM2,000 police bail in the evening.