Magistrate rejects police request for remand on PSM leader
Parti Sosialis Malaysia(PSM) secretary-general S. Arutchelvan will be released today after a magistrate rejected police's request to remand him for investigations under the Sedition Act.
His lawyer, Latheefa Koya, said magistrate Muslina Mohd Jamil rejected the application by police after hearing arguments by her and four others on his arrest.
"Police requested for four days remand but we argued they could record his statement without having to remand him.
"We also argued that if the remand application was granted, it would look like police were abusing their powers.
"Furthermore, as a public figure, Arutchelvan will give his full cooperation. After hearing our argument, the magistrate rejected the remand application," Latheefa said.
She said police have until 7pm today to release Arutchelvan as they are only allowed to hold a detainee 24 hours without remand.
Latheefa added that five lawyers were at the Dang Wang police headquarters today to represent Arutchelvan. Apart from her, former Bar Council president and activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and lawyer Syahredzan Johan were also present.
Arutchelvan was detained at his house in Kajang yesterday evening and taken to Dang Wangi for investigations into statements he allegedly made on the Federal Court verdict on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy charge, last week.
Police also seized his personal computer and other electronic equipment which may have been used by Arutchelvan in posting the allegedly "seditious" statements on Facebook.
Arutchelvan is the latest opposition figure to be hauled up for allegedly criticising the Federal Court's decision to uphold Anwar's sodomy conviction and jail sentence.
The PSM stalwart had allegedly said that the apex court's verdict was politically motivated.
Last week, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar warned that Arutchelvan along with several other opposition figures would be investigated for criticising the court's decision.
Besides Arutchelvan, Khalid also named Fariz Musa, the head of PKR's Jingga-13 movement and PKR deputy youth chief Dr Afif Bahardin, both of whom had allegedly urged Anwar's supporters to hold demonstrations.
On February 11, popular cartoonist Zulkifli Anwar UlHaque, or Zunar, was arrested for sedition over his tweet criticising the judiciary, hours after Khalid went on Twitter to warn of police action.
Khalid had also singled out two opposition politicians, DAP's Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming and PKR's Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli, over their tweets allegedly critical of the Anwar verdict. – February 20, 2015.
