KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 ― A law aimed to curb anti-terrorist activities was today used to extend the detention of 17 students arrested last night after their sit-in campaign at Parliament house here to pressure Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak into resigning from office.
The Malaysan Bar president Steven Thiru said the police was awarded a three-day remand order from Magistrate Mohammad Hirman to enable the students to be investigated under Section 124(B) of the Penal Code as well as for allegedly breaching the provisions of the Peaceful Assembly Act.
“The magistrate ordered a three-day remand. They are being investigated for a committed offence under 124B of the Penal Code and the Peaceful Assembly Act,” he told reporters outside the Jinjang district police station.
Steven added that the investigating officer originally asked for a seven-day remand order, claiming the incident involving the students was serious.
However, a team of eight lawyers representing the students had objected to the application, arguing that the police did not have any grounds to file such a claim.
The magistrate had accordingly reduced the remand time and ordered the police to wrap up their probe and release the students by Friday afternoon, Steven said.
“Police have misconstrued and misunderstood 124(B). We challenged it as they did not prove the students actions were violent or unconstitutional.
“They have no evidence that the students were being violent and they also have not satisfied what is unconstitutional about a peaceful assembly outside Parliament,” Steven said.
The Bar Council chief added that lawyers will also be filing for a challenge on the remand received by the 17 students today afternoon.
