Khairuddin not challenging remand order as matter of principle, says lawyer

Former Batu Kawan Umno vice-chairman Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan is seen outside the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in Putrajaya last January, following up on his police report made in December last year, over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) financial scandal. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 22, 2015.Former Umno division leader Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan, who is currently under investigation for attempting to overthrow the government, will not contest his six-day remand as a matter of principle, says his counsel Matthias Chang.

"We have decided against filing a revision as Datuk (Khairuddin) is very strong and adamant," Chang told The Malaysian Insider.

"He has done no wrong. He will not contest the remand order as a matter of principle.

"He will complete the six-day custody to allow police to complete their investigation," he said.

Chang on Sunday said a legal team was considering challenging the remand order obtained by police on Saturday.

However, he told The Malaysian Insider last night that his client (Khairuddin) will go through the process as he has not done anything wrong.

Khairuddin, the former Batu Kawan Umno division vice-chairman, was accused of sabotaging the country after it was dicovered that he had lodged reports with investigators in several countries, including Hong Kong, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said Khairuddin was detained and questioned as he chose foreign legal channels to put pressure on Malaysia over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) issue.

Khalid had said that such action could be deemed as sabotaging the country and challenging the Malaysian legal system.

"It also tarnishes the credibility of the local enforcement agencies and invites foreign intervention in the democratic system of this country," the IGP had said.

Khalid added that Khairuddin had lodged police reports on the 1MDB issue in Malaysia, and enforcement agencies here must be given time to carry out their investigations.

Khairuddin was supposed to leave for the United States on Friday morning with Chang but both were stopped from leaving the country by Immigration officials at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, on orders from Federal police.

It was later said that he was on his way to meet Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) officers.

Khairuddin, who was belatedly dismissed from his Batu Kawan party leadership role for being declared a bankrupt, said in his Facebook posting on Friday that police wanted to question him for handing in evidence related to the 1MDB scandal to the Swiss attorney-general's chambers.

Khairuddin handed the evidence to the Swiss authority on August 20, and urged them to investigate the debt-laden state investment arm's activities involving Swiss and international banks.

He insisted that he had only acted in the country's best interests, and that he had the locus standi to lodge a report with Swiss authorities.

But Putrajaya accused Khairuddin of lodging "false and politically motivated police reports" and pushing the same agenda as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has been incessantly calling for Najib's resignation.

- TMI