Police Operation On 70 Falun Gong Members During Chinese President’s Malaysia Visit Draws Attention
Police officials maintain that their actions were based on existing laws regarding unregistered societies.
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Malaysian authorities detained over 70 Falun Gong practitioners in Kuala Lumpur ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit last month, leading to discussions about law enforcement procedures and religious assembly rights.
The operation, conducted on 13 April at a shop lot in Cheras, resulted in the arrest of 47 Malaysian citizens and 29 Chinese nationals.
Falun Gong practitioner Jane Teo told TRP that the group was gathered for what participants describe as a book reading session.
The 29-year-old from Kuantan, Pahang, and her Johorean husband, Max Chua, 45, were among those detained.
We were questioned about potential activities during Xi’s upcoming visit.
The couple states they were released on 17 April, after Xi departed from Malaysia. According to Teo, many Chinese nationals were held much longer, only gaining their release more than a week later.
She alleged that authorities deliberately prolonged the detention period and exploited legal technicalities by classifying it as an “investigation” rather than an arrest, which would have required stricter procedural timelines.
@malaysia_kini Polis menahan lebih 70 pengikut pergerakan Falun Gong di Kuala Lumpur sebelum ketibaan Presiden China, Xi Jinping pada bulan lalu. Tindakan itu didakwa sebagai langkah pencegahan untuk menutup mulut penentang pemimpin Parti Komunis China itu. Dalam temu bual bersama Malaysiakini, beberapa tahanan yang hanya dibebaskan selepas Xi meninggalkan Malaysia berkata mereka ditahan polis berpakaian preman ketika serbuan ke atas perjumpaan kumpulan itu di Cheras pada 13 April lalu. Sumber video: https://youtu.be/UJbpeHwnzpo #malaysiakini #malaysianpolitics #fyp #polis #menahan #pengikut #pergerakan #FalunGong #KualaLumpur #PresidenChina #XiJinping #langkahpencegahan #menutupmulut #penentang #pemimpin #PartiKomunisChina #tahanan #meninggalkanMalaysia #ditahanpolis #preman #serbuan #Cheras ♬ original sound – Malaysiakini
Police Chief Defends Arrests, Cites Legal Procedures
Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Rusdi Isa confirms the arrests, explaining they were conducted under the Societies Act due to the group’s status as an unregistered organisation.
“When a group is illegal, it means they are not allowed to conduct any activity,” Rusdi stated at a press conference, emphasising that all actions followed proper legal procedures.
The police chief explained that the extended detention period for some individuals was necessary due to the large number of statements that needed to be collected.
When the number is big, police have to collect statements from all of them, so it takes time.
Unexpected Crackdown Despite Prior Warning
Teo said the arrests caught the practitioners off guard despite what she claims were prior warnings from authorities to pause their activities during Xi’s visit.
We have conducted activities in Malaysia for many years, including regular public awareness campaigns about organ transplant issues in Kuala Lumpur’s Bukit Bintang district.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual movement that emerged in China in the 1990s.
It is closely associated with The Epoch Times, a news organisation founded by Falun Gong practitioners, and Shen Yun Performing Arts, a performing arts company affiliated with the movement.
Group Seeks Local Support, Points to International Protection Measures
Before this incident, members say they had operated without significant interference.
Initial concerns were about the detained Chinese nationals, mostly women, being deported to China.
Teo also expressed hope that the recent U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Falun Gong Protection Act, which aims to sanction foreign individuals involved in persecuting practitioners, might influence Malaysian authorities’ stance.
The Act mandates visa and property-blocking sanctions on foreign individuals responsible for organ trafficking.
READ MORE: Silk Art Exhibition Brings Ancient Chinese Elegance To Modern Malaysia
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