Wednesday 6 May 2009

Bersih Activist Wong Chin Huat Wong remanded for a day (update)

Update: 9:15pm
Bersih activist Wong Chin Huat will be remanded until Friday (May 8) because the police needed more time to interrogate him and complete their investigations.

Kuala Lumpur magistrate Naziah Alias had originally granted a one-day remand order this morning but the police went to the court again to seek an extension.

The second remand order was granted by magistrate Nazran Mohd Sham after hearing submissions in her chambers from the police.

Earlier report:

The Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court today remanded Bersih activist Wong Chin Huat for a day and he could be released as early as this evening, according to Malaysiakini.

The police originally asked for a four-day remand order to complete their investigations but magistrate Naziah Alias only granted a remand order until tomorrow.

However, Wong's lawyers Latheefa Koya and Amer Hamzah Arshad told journalists that they would press for his release today.

Latheefa said she was hoping that Wong would be released by 6pm.

Earlier today, Wong was brought to the court complex in handcuffs and dressed in the compulsory orange police lock-up uniform.

He was arrested at 8pm yesterday under the Sedition Act at his home in Taman Sri Sentosa in Kuala Lumpur and then taken to the Commercial Crimes Investigation Department (CCID) headquarters for questioning.

He was later whisked away to an undisclosed location about 12.18am.

CCID chief Koh Hong Sun yesterday said that Wong was being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act.If found guilty, he could face a jail term of up to three years.

Wong's arrest was linked to Bersih's campaign - dubbed as 1BlackMalaysia - for the public to wear black tomorrow to protest the Perak government takeover by Barisan Nasional.

Wong had issued the call yesterday on behalf of Bersih, the Coalition for Free and Clean Elections.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Is this the 'change' that the govt has been talking about? It's so sad. Hope you are doing well, Kak Maria.

maria a samad (kak ton) said...

Hi marykate,

It' sad indeed!

I was kinda optimistic when he took over - you know like let's not be too hasty and judge him prematurely.

Give him time & let's give him a chance to prove himself and walk the talk.

Maybe, yes maybe there will be "change" - reformasi, transformasi bla bla bla.

Alamak less than a month after taking over, we see THIS.

I'm fine, marykate. Hope you are too.:)

Thanks for asking and for dropping by.