Former Bar Council President Ambiga Sreenevasan has slammed the six-day remand period imposed on the former Umno leader Khairuddin Abu Hassan.

“The remand is not supposed to be a punishment, and I think it is a total abuse to hold him for six days ...

“I was appalled and shocked actually, at the length of the remand. I think this abuse of the remand procedure must stop,” she told reporters when asked to comment on Khairuddin’s arrest.

Earlier today, she was speaking at a forum about freedom in Malaysia, where she expressed dismay in cases where she believed politicians and activists had been arrested and remanded unnecessarily, as a form of punishment.

Khairuddin was arrested last Friday under Section 124C of the Penal Code, which criminalises activities “detrimental to parliamentary democracy”.

According to his lead counsel Stanley Augustin, the police alleges that the documents submitted by Khairuddin as evidence on his police reports over the 1MDB scandal are fake.

His arrest reportedly came ahead of a planned meeting with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) tomorrow, but he was barred from leaving the country prior to his arrest.

Regardless, the Wall Street Journal today reported that the FBI has initiated investigations into allegations of money laundering linked to 1MDB.

Charge won't stand in court

Ambiga said she believes that the accusation that Khairuddin was undermining parliamentary democracy would not stand up to scrutiny in court.

Khairuddin has been approaching law enforcers around the world on the 1MDB issue.

Ambiga also believes the provision under Section 124C of the Penal Code is being abused to silence dissidents.

“Criticising the prime minister is not undermining parliamentary democracy. They better get their definitions right.

“They equate the prime minister with parliamentary democracy. Sorry, that is not the definition of parliamentary democracy...

“Going by my understanding of the law and my understanding of the definition, it shouldn’t (stand up in court),” she said.

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