Anti ISA Protest - Police Remand Juvenile 4 days

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Faizudin Hamzah, a 16-year-old who was arrested in yesterday’s anti-Internal Security Act (ISA) rally, will be remanded for four days, causing an outrage among rights groups who decry the detention as “tyranny at the highest level”.

The police also arrested two 13-year-olds in the mammoth protest and detained them overnight together with Faizudin in an adult lockup at the Petaling police station. The two 13-year-olds were however released this morning.

Legal Aid Centre lawyers have claimed the juveniles were denied food last night.

Faizudin was arrested at the KL Sentral Station at about 11.55pm and no reason was given during his arrest. According to lawyers, the police have yet to record his statement.

It is also said that the remand order was served without giving the teenager the right to defend himself. He was asleep at the time.

Human rights lawyer and PKR communications director Jonson Chong, who is monitoring the situation, said the detention violates United Nations International Convention on Children's Rights, of which Malaysia is one of the signatories.

One of the many congregations yesterday
"This is definitely political persecution and retaliation on the part of the government. Children must never be used as a political bargaining chip," he told The Malaysian Insider.

Legal Aid Centre lawyer Puspawati Rosman also told The Malaysian Insider the police must immediately contact the Welfare Department and have its officers sent to assist the children but this was not done.

"When we contacted them, an officer by the name of Daing Terpateh Khairi refused to come to see the boy, stating that he does not have instructions from the police despite having been informed that a child's right has been abused," said Chong.

Although the police have arrested juveniles before, remanding them for four days or even detaining them overnight is highly unusual.

The children are currently being taken to the Bukit Jalil police station where some 63 other, including PKR vice-president and Subang MP R. Sivarasa, are currently being detained.

Newspapers reported that a total of 589 people were arrested at the rally and 526 of them have been released. Lawyers are currently working towards getting them freed but there is a likelihood that they would be remanded until tomorrow to be charged in court.