Blogger Syed Azidi Syed Abdul Aziz has been remanded for a day to be investigated for posting seditious postings and is being transferred to Kuala Lumpur for further investigations.

Kelantan deputy police chief SAC II Amir Hamzah Hussin said that Syed Azidi would be brought to federal capital because the report against him was lodged at the Dang Wangi police district in Kuala Lumpur.

kickdefella syed azidi syed abdul aziz Earlier today, Syed Azidi was at the Kota Bharu Magistrate Court for his remand proceedings.

He was brought to the court at about 1pm in an unmarked police vehicle and was greeted by a group of supporters including PAS vice-president Husam Musa.

Syed Azidi is an accomplished film-maker-turned-blogger and also works for the Kelantan government.

He runs the popular kickdefella blog which often lampoons Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in mock movie posters.

However, his online campaign to fly the Jalur Gemilang upside down last month caused a furore and stern warnings from Abdullah.

Wife worried

Syed Azidi was arrested yesterday under the Sedition Act at his home in Kota Bharu. He is likely to be probed by the Multimedia Unit of the Commercial Crimes Investigation Department (CCID).

His wife, Bariah Ishak, told Malaysiakini that her husband looked pale when she met him today. She said that she was worried for his well-being as he suffers from low sugar levels.

Speaking to reporters in Kota Bharu, Husam said that Syed Azidi's arrest was a form of selective prosecution. It was aimed at intimidating bloggers, he added.

Husam also said that he would appoint lawyers to assist Syed Azidi.

In another development, several bloggers will be holding a candlelight vigil at the police station which Syed Azidi is expected to be detained tonight as a mark of protest.

Second blogger arrested

Spokesperson for the bloggers, Amin Iskandar, said that the bloggers aim to create public awareness about the Sedition Act which granted the authorities wide ranging powers to determine what is deemed seditious.

Human rights group Suaram has condemned the arrest.

"It is a violation of freedom of expression. It is aimed to strike fear against those who criticise the government. It will have a chilling effect on bloggers and other Internet users," said Suaram director Yap Swee Seng.

"Clearly it is aimed to curtail dissent against the current leadership."

Syed Azidi is the second blogger to get in trouble with Malaysian authorities over website content.

Prominent blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, who has targeted government figures on his website, was arrested last Friday under the tough ISA.

Raja Petra, founder of the controversial Malaysia Today website, has already been charged with sedition and defamation after linking Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife to the sensational murder of a Mongolian woman.