Siti Kasim freed after remand bid rejected
> Activist held over alleged abduction case
KAJANG: Lawyer and activist Siti Kasim, who was arrested yesterday for apparently “obstructing a civil servant from carrying out his or her duties”, was freed after being detained for more than 12 hours when the magistrate’s court rejected a remand order application by police.
Siti was arrested at 12.40am when she showed up at the Kajang district police headquarters to represent her client Anis Izzatty Ruslan, 24, who ran away from home allegedly to escape her abusive mother.
In a joint press conference, Siti and Kajang police chief ACP Ahmad Dzaffir Mohd Yussof met reporters at the district police headquarters at about 3pm.
Ahmad Dzaffir said although Siti was freed, investigations will continue and the findings will be submitted to the AttorneyGeneral’s Chambers for further action.
In responding to claims that police had acted beyond their boundaries in detaining Siti, Ahmad Dzaffir said police action was within the parameters of the law.
At the press conference, Siti said she was merely defending her client when asked about her “fierce” reproach when confronting the police.
“When you hire a lawyer I am sure you want your lawyer to do the best for you and really fight to not be detained further.
“Yes, I can be very fierce when the circumstances call for it. There is no problem, I just had to spend a night in the lock-up and miss a conference.
“I have nothing against the police, they are just doing their job but they have to use their discretion based on a case. I will give my full cooperation to the police and work together to resolve the case because there are many things behind this,” she said.
She said Putrajaya police should be questioned why they had initially detained Anis in Shah Alam and subsequently sent her to Kajang Hospital.
Siti said she was touched and overwhelmed by the support she received from the Malaysian Bar when 12 lawyers showed up to defend her.
Earlier, Selangor police CID chief SAC Fadzil Ahmat said police had raided an apartment unit in Segambut at 9pm on Saturday night to rescue Anis after her mother lodged a police report on Friday alleging that her daughter, who was undergoing psychiatric evaluation at Kajang Hospital, was abducted by Siti.
A report was also lodged against Siti by a police personnel who was escorting Anis at the Kajang Hospital.
Fadzil said the police personnel’s report was on a commotion that occurred at the Kajang Hospital where Siti had allegedly barged into an examination ward despite being stopped by a security guard
Anis, who was in police custody at the time, willingly left the hospital with Siti.
Police, who traced Anis to Siti’s apartment unit, had tried to rescue her but she locked herself in the apartment. Fearing that Anis might hurt herself and others around her, the raiding party forced open the main door to gain entry into the premises.
Fadzil said the woman was again sent to the Kajang Hospital to undergo treatment and also for police investigators to determine the outcome of her medical condition.
The case has been classified as abduction under Section 363 of the Penal Code.