Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli and social activist Hishamuddin Rais were released under police bail in the wee hours of this morning.

They were arrested yesterday in connection with the anti-GST rally in Kuala Lumpur.

 

Meanwhile, Batu MP Tian Chua who was arrested in Penang late last night, is still being held at the Dang Wangi police district headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

 

In a series of tweets, Chua lamented his lack of sleep since arriving in Dang Wangi at 3.15am, with the investigation officer (IO) was still nowhere in sight.

 

“Waited from 3am to 5am, even the IO’s shadow is nowhere to be seen. If you are not prepared to investigate, better to just put me in a lockup. At least I can sleep […]

 

“Did (inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar) instruct (the police) to conduct sleep deprivation as a subtle tactic to penalise the arrested activists? What is their game plan?” he said.

When contacted, Chua's lawyer Michelle Yesudas ( left ) said the police will not be remanding him and he will be released once his statement has been recorded.

He is being investigated under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948, and Section 143 of the Penal Code that deals with illegal assembly.

'Waste of time'

Meanwhile, Rafizi told Malaysiakini that since his arrest yesterday morning, nothing was done until about almost midnight when a short statement was recorded.

 

During questioning, Rafizi ( left, with Hishamuddin Rais ) said he was asked to identify the Bantah GST rally organiser, the content of the speeches at the rally, and his purpose at the rally.

 

He was subsequently released together with Hishamuddin at about 1am today.

 

He slammed his arrest as a “total waste of time” both for him and the police personnel involved, and said Khalid should personally handle the procedures instead.

 

“Let him (Khalid) arrest us and let him go through the process of taking our fingerprints, dealing with everything and taking our statements.

 

“It is ridiculous to keep these lower-rank officers from their holidays and during the weekend just to harass us, because they don’t like doing it, neither do we like to be there,” he said when contacted.

 

Separately, Hishamuddin told Malaysiakini that there was no need for the police to arrest him at his home, because the police already had his phone number and could have asked him to go to a police station instead.

 

As this was the second time he was arrested at his home, he joked that the frequent police raids may lower property prices of the flats in his neighbourhood.

 

“The tenant’s association might take a resolution asking me to vacate this place because it has been raided twice by the cops,” he chuckled.