Penang executive councillor Phee Boon Poh, who was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) yesterday, has been remanded for five days.

Court registrar Ameera Mastura Khamis today granted the remand order.

Phee, who arrived at the court in a police van approximately 10am in handcuffs and in MACC's orange detainee uniform, was greeted by his wife, brothers, and supporters.

Outside the court, Phee's supporters gathered since 9am, carrying banners and shouting slogans such as "MACC don't bully".

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, deputy chief minister P Ramasamy, state excos Chow Kon Yeow, Danny Law, Afif Bahardin, Jagdeep Singh Deo, MPs Zairil Khir Johari and P Kasthurirani, and assemblypersons Cheah Kah Peng Peng, Lee Khai Loon, Teh Lai Heng were also present.

Lawyers RSN Rayer, Ramkarpal Singh Deo and V Parthipan represented Phee.

Phee was detained for alleged abuse of power over letters issued by his office involving an illegal carbon filter factory in Penanti, Penang, which has been in operation for about 15 years.

Phee oversees the environment, welfare, and caring society portfolio.

The Sungai Puyu assemblyperson was nabbed when he had his statement taken at the MACC office in Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah yesterday afternoon.

MACC officers raided his office in Komtar and his residence in Butterworth yesterday, seizing documents and files related to the case.

Meanwhile, the factory's director Edmund Gan Eu Leong, 37, and his father, factory manager Gan Buck Mee, 70, were also remanded for five days to assist in the probe.

Met outside the court, the lawyer for the two men, Dev Kumaraedran, said his clients are being "detained illegally" as the magistrate had decided on the remand order without considering his clients' views.

Lawyers surprised 

"We will raise the matter with a high court judge tomorrow or by the latest on Monday," Dev told reporters outside the court.

Ramkarpal expressed shock that the magistrate decided on the remand order before listening to the lawyers' submissions.

"We had only raised the preliminary issue of not being able to see our client at 11.30am.

"The merits of how many days Phee should be remanded was not touched yet," he said.

"The registrar adjourned the matter for 30 minutes at 12 noon. When we came back, we are shocked that she had decided it was five days remand," he added.

"We take issue with the fact that she decided on the remand order without first listening to us, it is highly irregular for her to do so," Ramkarpal said.

Ramkarpal said Phee's lawyers want a High Court judge to revise the registrar's "irregular" order.

He claimed that the lawyers had requested the registrar to assist in filing the revision before a high court judge but she had refused.

Ramkarpal also claimed that the magistrate had admitted her mistake and the lawyer will be drafting a letter to the high court judge to resolve the issue.

It is learned that the graft buster raided the factory in Sungai Lembu after residents complained that no action was taken by the Penang authorities.

MACC also raided the factory's office and the Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP)'s Licensing Department in Perda, Bukit Mertajam on Thursday.

Officers from the Inland Revenue Board joined the MACC officers from Putrajaya for the raid.

The arrest comes a week after Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng signed the "Corruption Free Plus 10" pledge with the MACC.

Phee is the second Penang government official to be arrested by the MACC for alleged graft.

Lim himself was charged in the High Court in Penang last year with two counts of corruption for the purchase of his bungalow on Jalan Pinhorn, which the DAP secretary-general insists is a political conspiracy to topple him.