KAJANG, June 24 — Lawyer Siti Kasim said today she will continue to represent her client Anis Nur Izzaty Ruslan as the latter “does not trust anyone else at the moment”, following her release from police custody.
Siti insisted she was only doing her job as a lawyer, which included standing up for her client and “not taking any nonsense from anyone”.
“I have not contacted her since my arrest yesterday, but I believe she is being looked after by the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO),” Siti said during a press conference following her release, referring to her 24-year-old client.
Siti said Anis initially stayed with her on Thursday as she feared her mother — who had lodged a police report against her daughter, claiming she is mentally unsound — would create a disturbance at WAO’s office.
“As I told the police, I am doing my job as a lawyer, which means I have to defend my client vigorously.
“It was necessary to stand up to them last night, and to do things rightly, properly, correctly, as well as take no nonsense from anyone,” she said.
Siti was detained at 12.40am today under Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing a public servant after the police took her client Anis into custody.
The police had previously broken into Siti’s home, where she was allegedly sheltering her client from the latter’s allegedly abusive mother, claiming the lawyer was kidnapping her own client.
Siti added she was overwhelmed by the support of her fellow lawyers — 12 of whom were with her since yesterday up to the time she was released.
“Some of them are more senior to me, and I am immensely thankful for their support which has given me a great deal of courage,” she said.
She also thanked the court for dismissing the police’s remand application and pledged to cooperate with them on the matter.
“I believe the magistrate rejected the application upon hearing the whole true picture which led to this.
“I was just doing my job as her lawyer and not trying to cause any trouble. However, I will work together with the police as there are many things behind this issue,” she said.
The police said earlier they will continue investigating Siti for alleged obstruction of a public servant, but not kidnapping.
