KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 (Bernama) -- A public inquiry by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) was told that the arrests and detention of five lawyers at the Brickfields police station on May 7, 2009, was lawful.

Brickfields police chief ACP Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid said their detentions were made without fear or favour.

"In the context of the incident, there was no question of sympathy because we acted according to the law, before, during and after the arrests, besides not using any force despite their not dispersing when ordered to do so.

"We (police) acted professionally," said Wan Abdul Bari.

Asked if had met any of the lawyers individually or in a group prior to detaining them, he stressed that there was no meeting between him and the lawyers.

The inquiry among others aims to find out whether the arrests of the lawyers on that date at the Brickfields police station constituted a violation of their rights.

The five lawyers detained were Puspawati Rosman, Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, Murnie Hidayah Anuar, Ravinder Singh Dhalliwal and Syuhaini Safwan.

They were arrested for allegedly participating in an illegal assembly outside the Brickfields police station between 9.25pm and 9.30pm on May 7,2009. The gathering was held in protest of the police detaining blogger Wong Chin Huat at the same police station the previous day.

All five lawyers had claimed that they were present there to represent people who were alleged to be participating in an illegal assembly.

The inquiry is chaired by Datuk Muhammad Shafee who is being assisted by Suhakam commissioner Datuk Dr Michael Yeoh and Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria with an inquiry official in attendance. The police and the Legal Aid Bureau are also holding watching briefs.

"I also never met the former president of the Legal Aid Bureau the next day at the Jalan Travers police station where the five lawyers were held...I did not know who he was until told today," added the police chief.

Datuk Muhammad Shafie, however, ordered the testimony by Wan Abdul Bari to be kept temporarily as it was said to be inconsistent with the testimony of the former president of the bureau, K. Ragunath.

In his testimony, Ragunath had said that he had tried to meet Wan Abdul Bari to discuss the detention of the five lawyers but was ignored.

The inquiry which began at 8pm at Suhaikam's Inquiry Room at the 29th Floor, Menara Tun Razak here, continues tomorrow.