Batu MP Tian Chua, along with Anything But Umno (ABU) leader Haris Ibrahim and PAS member Tamrin Ghafar, are freed after a magistrate rejected the police application today to remand them.

Lawyer Ashok Kandiah said the three walked out of the Jinjang police station this afternoon, where they have been held since their arrests yesterday.

azlanThe trio are being investigated under Section 4 of the Sedition Act 1948 following their participation in a post-electoral forum at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on May 13.

They were arrested by the police at various locations yesterday afternoon.

Police will now have to investigate them under a different offence, if they want to remand them further.

Ashok told Malaysiakini that the police applied for seven days remand.

However, he said lawyers representing the three objected as the police did not provide a transcript of the alleged seditious speeches.

“Furthermore, Haris’ and Tamrin’s names were not in the police first information report and hence, they should not be held any further.

“We came to know that they wanted the three as possible witnesses and if so, we argued they should not face a long period of remand.

“They are not murder suspects, and even for such suspects the court does not allow such a long period of remand,” he said.

Abuse of process

Ashok said in the end, magistrate Norashikin Sahat may have decided that the police should complete their investigations and that the authorities’ application is an abuse of power and court process.

Lawyers Sivarasa Rasiah, Ambiga Sreenavasan, N Surendran and Afiq M Noor represented Tian, who is also a PKR vice-president, while Ashok, Pavendeet Singh, John Skelchy and Adam Ibrahim represented Haris.

Tamrin was represented by lawyers KA Ramu and MV Nathan.

Student Adam Adli Abdul Halim, who was also at the KLSCAH event, had already been charged with sedition at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court yesterday, after being remanded for five days.

NONEPKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (left) had also been hauled up and charged at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA) last week for helping to organise the first Black 505 rally at the Kelana Jaya stadium.

Today, it has also been reported that newly-elected Ipoh Timor MP Thomas Su will be charged next week under the PAA with organising the Ipoh rally.