“We have to fight all out and get the ISA abolished,” says RPK before he is driven home. Photos by Rakyat@Work
Updates by anilnetto.com with Rakyat@Work reporting live from the scene.
1800: Correction: The person in the front seat of the Rolls was not Tony Pua but someone else. Sorry, Tony!
1743: Blog reader Andrew tells us not to get too carried away:
Your reader’s comments all TOO OPTIMISTIC about the judiciary. One swallow does not make a summer. One case does not exonerate the judiciary’s discredit nor does it signal any significant change. Only a series of good judgments over a prolonged period of time will do this. If any of the other ISA detainees were to challenge their detention, would they be freed?
1723: The thanksgiving continues, this time from Tommy Man:
Hallelujah…Praise to the Lord God the Creator.
Justice finally prevailed. God is our judge. The aggressor will be punished.
1702: Rakyat@Work is now taking a well-deserved break to freshen up before heading for Seremban, where he expects RPK to turn up for the weekly Friday night Abolish ISA vigil at Dataran Seremban Park at 8.00pm. It should be an exciting night!
Utter delight: His supporters chant “RPK! RPK!”
1700: RPK’s release is a blow for advocates of the ISA, says blog reader Sewel:
Refreshing to see Habeas Corpus was used as a leverage to challenge the ISA. This is common law at its best. Justice Syed Helmy has also (given) a much needed credibility boost to Malaysia’s judiciary. Justice Helmy put to rest the false assumption that nobody could question the ISA.
Together with the judgment passed by Judge Komathy on Anwar’s sodomy trial today to disallow (AG’s request for) Anwar’s hearing to (be transferred to) the high court, we are seeing justice prevail. The Judiciary has in fact today in different sittings questioned the credibility and judgement of both the Attorney-General and the Home Minister.
1639: Haris and Zorro thank everyone for their support. Haris reminds the crowd that there are over 60 detainees who need to be freed as well. Everyone here is taking a “piece of justice” home today.
1600: Blog reader Harbans Kaur heaves a sigh of relief:
Yay! Good news. Thanks for the live up-date. I’ve been on tenterhooks all morning wondering if he was going to be re-arrested outside the courthouse. God Bless RPK! We must continue to pressure the release of all other ISA detainees! The anti-ISA vigils should continue.
1540: He is freed! “RPK is whisked away in a beautiful maroon Rolls Royce fit for a king,” says Rakyat@Work. RPK and Marina are in the back seat while Tony Pua is in the front. Some 150 supporters are chanting, “RPK! RPK!”
“You should have seen it for yourself!” says Rakyat@Work, in the midst of all the frenzy. “All it took was 30 minutes in court. As the doors swung open, reporters swarmed all around RPK so that you could barely see his face.”
Facing the media glare: RPK is back!
It’s a good day for the forces of change in Malaysia as over in Kuala Lumpur, Sessions Court Judge S M Komathy has ruled in Anwar’s favour. in deciding that his sodomy trial could be heard in the same court and not a higher court. We do have a few independent-minded judges out there, it would seem.
1519: About 60 people – reporters, supporters and others – are now outside the courtroom, which has room for 60 seated and 10 standing. Malaysia Today takes up the report inside the courtroom:
The courtroom is packed. Malik Imtiaz has asked everyone to contain themselves, to not clap or shout as it is a court. Zorro is left standing as there is just no more space left to sit. He had a seat earlier but when he got up to speak to RPK, his place was immediately taken up.
Not to worry though as he is standing for less than five minutes. The judge says as RPK has been brought before the court, all conditions have been met and he is therefore free to go.
People around raise their fists in the air and shake each other’s hands. But all keep quiet. Everyone mobs RPK again when he gets up to leave. It takes a longer time getting out of court than the actual proceedings.
1505: RPK arrives in a white van with supporters chanting “RPK! RPK!”. He is quickly taken to a lift barely 80 metres from the entrance to the court.
Related posts:
I have been floating like a balloon since an SMS arrived this morning at 10AM informing me RPK would be released by 4PM. At 3PM I sat by the river listening to the wind and it told me to have faith in Justice Komathy’s core of decency & professionalism. Double happiness on 7 November 2008!! This comes with bouquets of rainbow-colored hugs, Anil. Thanks for the superswift uploading (those of us who weren’t physically there depend so much on ace journos like you to get our excitement fix!
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RPK is free,our M’sian fighter for justice,freedom,rights that we M’sian deservre will carry on,Daulat Tuanku,Daulat Tuanku,Daulat Tuanku,we M’sian is all at the back of PPK to keep on this untill we achieve it,and also support the candle light vigil for the release of other ISA detainee,Mansuhkan ISA.
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This is a tight SLAP on … Syed Hamid Albar for his follies on Malaysian justice and freedom. Hope to see & hear more of these tight slaps in the near future. RPK, UR insurmountable fighter.
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Hallelujah..!! God Bless Raja Petra… Worth all those candles and prayers…
Change is coming….slowly…slowly… But coming..
Take a good rest,sir, before you fire your first salvo…
Anxiously waiting…Your next move… THE WORLD IS WITH YOU……
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I think the comment that one swallow does not make a summer is apt. Landmark yes, but politically these are “minor” decisions, with respect to RPK and the other detainees. Losing the battle for the sake of the war so to speak. It’s like making a concession so that when a stinking political decision is delivered later, this case would be referred to assert the point that the judiciary is independent.
The decisions I would be keeping an eye on would be the Anwar case and Altantuya’s. There might be others I might have missed. But politically, these 2 are at the forefront. I have the sneaky feeling we are going to be disappointed – these are 2 that UMNO cannot (afford to) lose. …
The elevation of Zaki should also be ringing alarm bells; there is no way anyone would want to invite ridicule for his appointment unless …
Let’s wait and see; i would LOVE to be proven wrong!
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