The High Court in Kuala Lumpur rejected an application to lift the remand order on PKR Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, his lawyer Eric Paulsen said today.

 

This means the Selangor state executive councillor has to wait until the order expires tomorrow for his release while police investigate his involvement in the Kita Lawan rally held in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday.

 

Alternatively, the police could seek another remand order for up to three days, Paulsen ( right ) said, although there is no sign yet the police intend to do so.

 

When contacted, Paulsen expressed disappointment the court opted to dismiss the remand revision application without hearing the merits of the case.

 

“That is quite unfortunate. It would be better if there is a hearing for us to be able to point out to the judge what we think wrong,” he said.

 

He added that the court notified him of the rejection by fax about noon today.

 

Nik Nazmi was arrested on Sunday morning for his role in organising the rally and Magistrate Mohd Azali Ibrahim granted police their three-day remand order the following day.

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Paulsen made the application for a revision yesterday evening. Among others, he pointed out that Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 that Nik Nazmi is being investigated under has already been declared unconstitutional.

He also said that in the time since Nik Nazmi’s arrest ( left ) to the remand hearing, the police had not conducted any investigation nor recorded Nik Nazmi’s statement.

 

In her fax, deputy registrar Noor Aini Yusof said Justice Siti Mariah Ahmad had looked into the case and decided it was “orderly and in accordance to the law” and there was no reason for her intervene.

 

Paulsen told Malaysiakini police recorded Nik Nazmi’s statement from 11am to 1pm today in presence of another of his lawyers, Melissa Sasidaran.

 

Meanwhile, Selangor exco member Elizabeth Wong posted a photo on her Facebook page of a handwritten note purportedly signed by Nik Nazmi.

 

“Thank you for the prayers and support from all of you. Thank God that your words of encouragement are a meaningful boost. Keep up the fight,” he wrote.