KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — Former Umno leader Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan filed at the High Court here today for a habeas corpus application to challenge his detention under an anti-terrorism law after he lodged police reports on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Khairuddin’s lawyers said his 28-day detention under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA) was illegal and that the law was not applicable in this case, arguing that their client’s actions in lodging police reports in other countries against the Malaysian state investment firm was not an act of terrorism.

“The applicant’s arrest under SOSMA 2012 is ill-intentioned, a form of mala fide and was an afterthought on the part of the respondents,” the habeas corpus notice read.

Khairuddin named the Malaysian government, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, the Dangi Wangi police chief and Supt Habibi Majinji as respondents in the habeas corpus notice.

The former Batu Kawan Umno deputy division chief had been on a global tour to solicit investigations by other countries into 1MDB, after US-based business daily Wall Street Journal published a series of reports detailing dubious activity allegedly involving the state-owned firm

The reports began with an exposé in July that almost US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) was deposited into Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal accounts.

Khairuddin had also lodged reports locally against 1MDB late last year, reportedly because criticisms against the state-fund were “ignored” at the time.

His reports are believed to have prompted investigations into 1MDB in Switzerland, the SAR of Hong Kong, the US and the UK.

Khairuddin was initially arrested on September 18 under Section 124C of the Penal Code that deals with acts against parliamentary democracy, the day he was reportedly due to fly to New York in the US to meet with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and was remanded a further six days on Saturday.

He was rearrested on September 23 after his remand expired, as police forwarded the investigations from Section 124C to Section 124K and 124L of the Penal Code, which refers to sabotage and attempts to sabotage the state respectively.

Police obtained an order last week allowing them to detain Khairuddin for 28 days, the maximum allowable under SOSMA that was introduced to counter terrorism.