‘Public interest and individual rights need to be balanced’

PETALING JAYA: Public interests and individual rights must be balanced, said Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Muhyiddin was addressing the public outrage concerning the arrest of lawyer activist Siti Kasim that took place on June 23 and the police application of her remand.

In a statement yesterday, he said that as Home Minister he agreed that the individual has the right to legal assistance but it must be balanced with public interests.

He also said he understood that at the time of her arrest, Siti was acting in the capacity of the victim’s lawyer.

Muhyiddin said he instructed the InspectorGeneral of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun to give a detailed report on the matter.

There is a clear separation of powers, he added, as shown when the police application of her remand was rejected by the courts on Sunday.

Siti’s arrest and the police trying to remand her have drawn much flak from lawyers and activists.

On late Saturday night, police barged into Siti’s home and at just past midnight, she was arrested for helping a woman, who is her client, escape the clutches of her mother. She was released on Sunday. The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission chairman Datuk A. Aziz A. Rahim said the commission would investigate whether the police complied with their standard operating procedure.