PUTRAJAYA, Oct 24 - Police have won a three-day remand until Deepavali on Monday for 10 followers of the outlawed Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) arrested yesterday for trying to petition the Prime Minister to free their leaders held under the Internal Security Act.
Police earlier freed exiled Hindraf leader P. Waythamoorthy's wife K. Shanti and her six-year-old daughter Vwaishhnavi while another two of those remanded - coordinator S. Jayathas and Lourdes Mary - have been warded in Putrajaya hospital as they are unwell.
The 10 - eight men and two women - were taken to the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya as the Kajang court was sitting there due to renovations in its courthouse.
The Federal Reserve Unit threw a tight security cordon around the building from morning leading to complaints from lawyers and the public although the remand proceedings only began late evening.
Magistrate Nurdiana Mohd Nazari allowed the remand order under Section 48 of the Societies Act for assisting an illegal organisation, which carries a penalty of RM15,000 or five years' jail.
The government banned Hindraf on Oct 15 although it has never been registered.
One of the six lawyers representing the group, M. Manogaran, who is also Teluk Intan MP, criticised the heavy police presence in the court complex, saying he will lodge a complaint with the Bar Council.
"Why are there FRU personnel in a court of law? This is not the Government's court or (Home Minister Datuk Seri) Syed Hamid Albar's court?" he was quoted as saying by The Star.
"This is the first time where a lawyer is being asked to turn in his MyKad so that he can see his clients. They won't even accept my MP card," he said, adding that the supporters should not be remanded at a time when Deepavali was so near.
Several Opposition MPs - including Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan, Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng and Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam - were there to lend support to the Hindraf group.
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