Contrary to Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar's accusation that he went into hiding, national laureate A Samad Said has claimed that he was at his house yesterday.

Speaking to Malaysiakini , he said that no policemen had turned up at his doorstep. He also took the police chief to task for "spreading false news to discredit him".

"I was at home the whole day, and nobody came (looking for me)," he added.

NONE Samad was responding to Khalid ( left ), who urged the national laureate to surrender in order to facilitate investigation into the action of those who flew the "Sang Saka Malaya" flag near Dataran Merdeka last Friday.

The police chief claimed that Samad had "gone into hiding" when police mounted an operation to track him.

On Khalid's request that he surrenders, the national laureate said he would not do so as and unless the police furnish him with an official letter.

"I think the IGP was just talking to reporters. There is no official letter asking me to surrender.

"I am not prepared to surrender if it is only based on impromptu comments. If I am to be called in for questioning, I need it in black and white," he added.

This morning, activists Hishamuddin Rais and Adam Adli Abdul Halim were released after being arrested last night under the Sedition Act over the flying of the "Sang Saka Malaya" flag.

The flag, which has a white stripe, a red stripe and 12 yellow five-pointed stars, was first raised in 1947 by leftist independence movement group Putera-AMCJA.

The police had last year investigated other activists under the same Act for flying the flag at other events, but no one was charged.

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