The three SOS (Save Ourselves) detainees held by police in conjunction with their campaign against the repeal of the Rent Control Act were released by Penang police this afternoon.

SOS founder Ong Boon Keong and members Ooi Chuan Seng and Leong Yuet Khau were released on police bail although Ong and Ooi were yesterday ordered by a magistrate to be further remanded for another five days following their arrest last Friday. Leong presented himself to the police yesterday afternoon following an official request by the police.

Aliran president P. Ramakrishnan told malaysiakini today it was "surprising" that the police decided to release Ong and Ooi just one day after they had sought and obtained a court order to further remand the duo for five days.

"Clearly this is another abuse of the judicial process as their release a day following a five-day remand order against them shows the police did not have much ground for detaining them for more than a day in the first instance," Ramakrishnan said.

It also indicated that the police "did not have much to investigate" relating to the case, he added.

Ramakrishnan noted that it was also an abuse of judicial process when the magistrate had to go to the police station to issue the remand order yesterday at about noon and the duo's lawyers were not informed.

Their lawyers and about 100 SOS members had gathered at the courthouse and were acting in an orderly manner to lend moral support to their leaders, said Ramakrishnan, who was also at the scene.

"The police contention that the atmosphere at the courthouse was tense was not true at all," he added.

He hoped that Penang chief police officer Arthur Edmonds would not resort to telling "lies" to justify their action against SOS members.

Edmonds had told reporters yesterday that Ong and Ooi were arrested for "rioting" against the chief minister at Jalan Krian last Friday. The case had been classified as rioting under Section 147 of the Penal Code, and an offender faces jail up to two years or a fine or both. However, it is not clear whether the three activists would be charged at a later date.

Ong and a number of SOS members had sought to meet Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon twice over the past week regarding the lifting of the Rent Control Act, which has resulted in high rentals of many premises on the island.

Last Friday, a number of SOS members attempted to stop Koh's car with a long banner in their bid to talk to the chief minister, and the three were arrested soon after.