Tuesday, July 17, 2007

They let Nat out!

A minute ago, bloggers Zorro and A Voice sms-ed me to say that Nathaniel Tan has just been released by the police after for days of detention under the Official Secrets Act. They were at Bukit Perdana, together with some well-wishers, since after lunch to wait for Nat's release.

24 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:32 pm

    alhamdulillah..

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous5:36 pm

    what exactly happen?

    This fella got detained because of...?

    1) if under OSA, then he possessed something 'rahsia'..in the form of documents, is it?

    or..

    2) that picture appeared at tian chua's webpage?

    or..

    3) none of above. just, the police are his buddies.. which is totally untrue at all.

    can someone..?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous5:55 pm

    Thank God and thank you Pak Lah (only our PM or the Minister of Home Affairs has the power to do this.)

    Bro, who said our PM is in the dark about things and don't read blogs? hehehe

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's so beautiful to see Malaysian of all races joining hands in solidarity with Nat!
    See how they express the joy in seeing their comrade being released.
    But I also dread the ugly side of Malaysians which is on the opposite of this group.
    They care not who lives or dies.
    Yes, they come under the Barisan banner. They wield the keris, call for blood and threaten one another.
    They are waiting to cekek one
    another's throat.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sdr Rocky Bru,

    That's a good news. It's worth mentioning that the magistrate gave the police four days instead of the much longer remand period requested.

    Surely four days were more than enough to investigate the case.

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous7:19 pm

    xxx Mr ROCKY, HOPE U DONT MIND I COPY-PASTE THIS NEWS ON NAT. SO HIS COMPUTERS ARE NOT "FREE" YET! AND THE BIG Q IS --- WHO'S THE NEXT BLOGGER TO BE TAKEN IN?
    I PUT ALL MY MONEY ON RPK. xxx


    PKR webmaster released on bail

    Blogger and PKR webmaster Nathaniel Tan was released just after 5pm today after a four-day remand for allegedly breaching the Official Secrets Act.

    He was released on police bail and was welcomed by a small crowd of supporters and friends as he walked out of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) complex in Kuala Lumpur.

    He has to report back to CCID on July 31.

    "All I want to do now is to go and look for roti canai to eat," said an elated Tan as he walked out of the police compound and was seen kissing and hugging his family members.

    Tan was investigated for alleged breach of Section 8 of the Official Secrets Act 1972, in relation to a comment left on his blog site linking Deputy Internal Security Minister Mohd Johari Baharum to a corruption allegation.

    He was picked up for questioning on Friday evening from the office of a non-governmental organisation Yayasan Aman in Petaling Jaya. On Saturday, he remanded for questioning. The remand ended today.

    Tan confirmed that police had quizzed him on the anonymous comments in his blog but his lawyers stopped him from elaborating. Tan claimed he was subjected to daily interrogations with different police officers.

    “(But) they all kept asking the same questions... it was very tiring,” he added.

    Revision of remand

    Asked if the police had indicated other bloggers might be targeted, Tan replied: “I don’t know who’s next and I don’t know if this is a trend that would continue.

    Tan told reporters that he spent the four nights at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters and was interrogated at the cyber crime division, which is a division under the CCID.

    On his two computers that were siezed by the police, Tan’s lawyer R Sivarasa said the police were running ‘forensic tests’ on the two machines and cannot be claimed yet.

    “The police are still ‘torturing’ the computers,” quipped Tan.

    Sivarasa added that his team would be still pursuing a revision of Tan’s remand order at the Kuala Lumpur High Court tomorrow.

    “We expect the prosecutors to argue that the matter is academic, but there are important issues being taken up in the revision application such as his denial of access to lawyers,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Tian Chua said PKR and other groups would continue to push for the abolishment of the OSA.

    “(Tan’s arrest) is a clear example of how the OSA can be abused... they don’t need evidence nor documents to arrest an individuals... it is a threat against all citizens of Malaysia,” he said.

    He added that more details on police investigations against Tan would be revealed during the PKR weekly press conference on Thursday.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great effort by everyone and it was your concern and compassion for a fellow blogger and Malaysian that broke the mold. Syabas!
    Yes, even to the PDRM. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  8. drmpower wrote:

    "drmpower said...

    what exactly happen?

    This fella got detained because of...?

    1) if under OSA, then he possessed something 'rahsia'..in the form of documents, is it?

    or..

    2) that picture appeared at tian chua's webpage?

    or..

    3) none of above. just, the police are his buddies.. which is totally untrue at all.

    or I added!

    4) or it is just a big show for he may be a very deep cover government or police mole our to snitch on bloggers! I will be very careful if I were you all, this "stuff" is plausible not just in the movie!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Can I nominate Nat as the first martyr of the Malaysian blogosphere for Malaysian Book of Records. No need to die also can be martyr, right? I am sure suffering for the cause or from being dressed in unflattering orange is worthy of martyrdom.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous7:52 pm

    The family should SUE Baharom/government and Musa Hassan the IGP for intimidation and causing anxiety.
    Also for discrimination. How come Nathaniel was in for 4 days but the deputy minister never remanded for the alleged corruption? That's discrimination!

    Come on Sivarasa, don't sit on your fat ass .. sue!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Rocky!

    It should read "out (not our) to snitch on bloggers"

    Pardon!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous7:52 pm

    Good for Nat. Good that the Police did not go to the Magistrate and asked for an extended remand.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous8:42 pm

    d last 4 days bin kind of surreal 4 me or de javu even. Am I imagining things? Has some1 bin following me? Is Rocky's Bru goin soft & tame?

    Am I goin nut????????

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous9:27 pm

    Nat great that you are out.

    BTW do those guys at CCID know how to handle your upscale laptop?

    Also the issue at hand - they were investigating about the OSA etc..must have really bugged them enough to release you quietly...

    ReplyDelete
  15. the police were running ‘forensic tests’ on the two machines




    ‘forensic tests’ on PC? what they expect to find? sperms or eggs?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous9:50 pm

    Richard Starker,

    Can anyone sue the Govt/Minister of Internal Securities/Police for detention under remand order like this?

    I don't think so. The detention is lawful. The Police obtained a remand order from a Magistrate so that they can investigate. Its provided under Police Act. Look it up.

    This is a normal investigation procedure. Anyone can be detained for investigations and the Police usually get the remand order from the Magistrate. Sometime, its the Police went back to the Magistrate and an extension is granted.

    Like in the case of Abdul Razak Baginda.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous10:03 pm

    Glad that Nat is out.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous11:05 pm

    Rock, it quite remarkable & amazing effort, with all the bloggers ( from all races & walk of life )coming together for a fellow blogger.

    You guys could teach those BN punks a thing or two about national unity.

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is very good news indeed ... until the next time ?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Yeah ... I was there. In case, some UMNO fellas gets me wrong, I was there for Nat & Li Tsin the nice pleasant couple and not Nat teh Keadilan and Foundation for the Future activist.

    Phooh ... tough avoiding getting photographed with in the like of the PKS and Tian Chua.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous9:08 am

    I think the police are cheapskates trying to get a free course on blogging by detaining a blogger. I can teach them about blogging for free, without having to detain anyone.

    Any chance kasi baju oren free as souveniours?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous7:12 pm

    Just a wee bit late, but am relieved that Nat has been released.

    Am not partisan to any of the opposition groups but am loyal to UMNO.

    One basic thing remains...many of us did not take kindly to his detention. For such indiscretion we are humans at heart.

    Bless you, Nat.

    ReplyDelete