As he was being led away, SDP member Gandhi Ambalam, who shouted at the police and obstructed them in their duties, was also arrested.

The saga did not end there. An hour later, former chief of the Fateha Muslim group Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff was also arrested at the Tanglin police station for creating a scene there.

Chee had earlier tried to apply for a permit to speak outside the Istana because he claimed he wanted to speak up for workers on May Day. However, his application was denied because the venue was not deemed suitable for holding such events.

While he was told to apply for an indoor rally permit, police said yesterday that he chose to break the law by proceeding with his rally outside the Istana.

He was at the scene at about 12.30 pm, accompanied by his wife, young daughter and a few party supporters.

After speaking to a small crowd for a few minutes, Tanglin Division's acting commander, Deputy Superintendent Lim Chin Tiak, approached him and advised him to leave peacefully as he did not have a permit.

Chee turned around to thank the officer for his advice, but carried on speaking to the crowd.

DSP Lim then repeated his warning twice, but Chee continued to ignore him. As a result, the officer ordered his men to take him away.

As Chee was being escorted to a police van, Gandhi raised his voice and tried to prevent Chee from being taken away.

Shouting repeatedly at the officers, he said: 'Look how the PAP Government has unleashed the police power on us!'

As a result, the officers also arrested him and packed him into the same police van as Chee.

At the station in Kampong Java Road, the police told some 25 friends and supporters of the two arrested SDP members, in addition to some of their relatives, to leave.

But Zulfikar refused to leave. Instead, he raised his voice and challenged the police, asking what they could do to him.

The police arrested him for causing a disturbance at the station, police spokesman Philip Mah told reporters.

After their arrests, Chee's supporters, who included Workers' Party's assistant secretary-general James Gomez and Think Centre member Jacob George, waited along the walkway outside the station.

At about 5.30 pm, some of them tried to put up placards asking 'What is the charge' and 'Where is Dr Chee' outside the station.

But they soon removed them and bolted from the scene as several plainclothes policemen emerged from the station to check on the commotion.

Chee, Gandhi and Zulfikar were all released late last night on police bail pending further investigations.

Yesterday was not Chee's first brush with the law for holding a public rally illegally. He has been convicted twice, in 1998 and 1999, for similar offences.

He is currently defending civil suits from Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew over defamatory remarks made during the General Election last year.

                                                    Home