Friday, September 19, 2008

Teresa Kok released from ISA detention - Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Sept 19, 2008

Picture courtesy of Malaysiakini

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok was released from detention under the Internal Security Act at about 1pm on Friday, her lawyer Sankara Nair said.

He said she had called him and he was now on the way to the Jalan Travers police station here to meet her.

Kok, 44, is expected to give a press conference at the DAP headquarters in Petaling Jaya at 3pm.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said that she had been released at 1.30pm after investigations showed there was no reason to detain her any further.

She was released unconditionally.

The Kinrara assemblyman and senior Selangor state executive councillor was detained one week ago, together with Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin and Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng.

Tan was released after 18 hours.

Kok was detained because she was considered a potential threat to national security for "racial incitement" after she was accused of petitioning a mosque to reduce the volume for azan (the call to prayer), something which she had vehemently denied.

The accusation surfaced in a Sept 10 article in Utusan Malaysia quoting former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo.

The accusation was refuted by the Kinrara mosque committee chairman and Kota Raja MP Dr Siti Mariah had lodged a police report against Dr Mohd Khir on this issue.

Kok also lodged a police report against the Malay daily, its columnist Zaini Hassan and Dr Mohd Khir.

“I believe one of the excuses for my ISA detention is in relation to that article and I place Utusan Malaysia, Zaini Hassan and Dr Mohd Khir Toyo responsible for my arrest,” she had stated in her police report.

On Monday, Kok filed a habeas corpus application in the High Court for her release citing that her arrest and detention under the Internal Security Act was unlawful.

Sankara said then that the court had fixed Sept 23 for hearing but said they would apply for Sept 22 instead as he had another case and Karpal Singh would be in East Malaysia on that date.

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