COMMENT | At about 4.30 am, two plainclothes policemen jumped over the gates of former journalist Sidek Kamiso’s house and banged on the door, demanding entry.

The two could not produce an arrest warrant despite Sidek’s repeated request. Before taking Sidek away, they took his laptop from the bedroom.

Sidek’s wife, Norlin Wan Musa, said it was appalling that anyone could just come in and “intimidate someone without an arrest warrant, in the safety of his/her home and take someone away.”

Then, opposition MP Jeff Ooi was also in the crosshairs, ordered to surrender at the Penang police station or be arrested.

What serious offence did the duo commit to warrant such treatment? The police force, especially then inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar, said the arrests were made for “insulting Islam” after the death of PAS spiritual leader Haron Din the previous day.

In Ooi’s case, the police interpreted the...