Teresa Kok ISA Experience (Her Story)

Teresa Kok ISA Experience

An electrical blip that plunged the DAP headquarters into darkness for some 10 minutes did not spoil the 'welcome home' party for outspoken politician Teresa Kok.

MCPXA bouquet of flowers, a cake and mooncakes were already waiting her even before she came into the conference room.

The 50-minute press conference was conducted in an almost festive note as DAP chairman Karpal Singh, Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim and state exco colleague Elizabeth Wong joined in.

Relating the incidents of the day, Kok told of how she was tailed the whole day by police before the arrest took place on her way home last Friday.

"I was going back to my condo after a function when a car sped up to block my car while another stopped behind me.

"Police came and tapped on my window to say that I was being arrested under the ISA. My request for a phone call was rejected.

"After instructing my driver to inform the party and my family, I was taken away," said Kok.

Requests for a shower and a chance to pick up some clothings before going to the police station were also ignored, said Kok.

The police, she added, wanted to handcuff her but after pleading with them, they relented and took her to a police station without the restraints.

Kok said that she was unsure where she was taken to and only got to her cell around 4am.

During her seven-day detention, Kok said she was only questioned twice – Saturday and Sunday – on the three allegations.

After the first session on Saturday, the three-term Seputeh MP offered to write her own statement for the police.

"They gave me a laptop on Sunday and I typed out my answers to their three questions in Bahasa Malaysia," said Kok.

The rest of her detention was uneventful, said Kok, except for one day when they gave her only boiled eggs, gravy and some cucumber for lunch and dinner.


Bible to read


Initially, she was not given any reading material but later on she was given a Bible after she requested for "something". On the last two days, Kok was allowed to read newspapers.

"But I got some of the news by asking the investigating officer when I was being questioned in his room. That was the only time I got some air-cond," said the politician with an impish grin.

After the first two days, Kok was also permitted to exercise before she was returned to her '6 by 8' cell at 5.30pm each day.

The only upsetting moment in her detention was when she was told her confinement would be extended by 28 days.

"It was distressing as I had already answered their questions," said Kok.

"It was also ironic that the morning they arrested me, I was explaining to 300 businessmen from China that Malaysia was a politically stable country for them to do business with."

"Imagine, their horror when the person who spoke to them on Friday appeared in the papers the next day, detained."

On her immediate plans, Kok, said that she will return to work as soon as possible.

"In fact, I've three functions to attend tonight," said Kok.

She ended the conference by thanking everyone who had supported her, with a special note to former law minister Zaid Ibrahim, who quit after protesting the ISA arrests.

"Zaid is really my friend! Thanks Zaid and you are welcomed to join Pakatan Rakyat anytime," she quipped.