Police sought four days of remand today to extend the detention of political cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, who is currently under arrest in Penang under the Sedition Act for insulting Prime Minister Najib Razak.
However senior assistant registrar Mohd Harith Mohd Mazlan allowed only a one-day remand.
Zunar's lawyer Ramkarpal Singh said Zunar will most probably be out this evening after a statement is taken from him.
"The cops asked for four days to keep Zunar, but was given only one day.
"They can easily take his statement, as Zunar has always cooperated with the police," he said when met outside the George Town Magistrate Court this morning.
Zunar arrived in court approximately 9.10am in handcuffs, clad in a white T-shirt.
Meanwhile Ramkarpal reminded the police to also look into the actions of the Penang Umno Youth members who stormed Zunar's exhibition on Friday at Komtar.
"They do not need a police report to be lodged before they take action," he said.
Apart from the Sedition Act, the 2016 recipient of the Cartoonist for Peace Award popularly known as Zunar, was also arrested under Section 504 of the Penal Code, which deals with intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace.
Need for remand questioned
When met last night, Ramkarpal asked the need for the police to seek remand to further detain the cartoonist.
"We will be there to oppose the application, for various reasons we will reveal tomorrow," he said after checking on Zunar at the Northeast Police Headquarters on Jalan Pattani.
Ramkarpal said Zunar was in "good spirits".
However the police had not taken a statement from Zunar although he had been in detention since 6pm yesterday.
"We are not satisfied or happy with this. There was ample opportunity and time to do that today, to take the statement and do other things and avoid the necessity of getting a remand order," said Ramkarpal, who is Bukit Gelugor MP.
"All this will be raised at the remand proceedings," he said.
Ramkarpal said Zunar was not yet in the lock-up when the lawyers left him with the police last night.
Cops refuse bail
Another of Zunar's lawyers RSN Rayer said last night, appeals were made to the police to consider allowing Zunar to post bail last night.
"He had surrendered himself and cooperated with the police to recover all the artworks," said the DAP Seri Delima assemblyperson.
"The arresting officer said he would consider it," Rayer told reporters outside the police headquarters.
At Komtar about 8pm last night, 10 of Zunar's artworks still mounted on their stands were seized by police and carted away in a police truck.
Each artwork fixed with stands costs approximately RM1,500.
Accompanying Ramkarpal and Rayer was lawyer cum PKR Kebun Bunga assemblyperson Cheah Kah Peng. They failed to get Zunar released on bail last night.
On Saturday around 3pm, Zunar's exhibition at Komtar was disrupted by a group of 30 Umno members led by Penang Umno Youth chief Rafizal Abdul Rahim .
Other than being threatened by punches and physical assault, the mob kicked down and damaged two of his artworks.
Rafizal threatened to use force on Zunar should he fail to end his exhibition which was supposed to be held until Dec 2.
Rafizal lodged a police report on Saturday claiming Zunar's artwork was an insult to Najib, who is also BN and Umno chief.- Mkini
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