Scenes of jubilation in court this morning after the decision Photo by Rakyat@Work
In a stunning development, Raja Petra is to be freed from ISA detention after a successful habeas corpus application.
Shah Alam High Court Judge Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad ruled that Raja Petra’s detention was illegal and that the Home Minister had acted outside his jurisdiction when he issued a two-year detention order under Section 8(1) of the ISA.
“The atmosphere here is fantastic,” says Rakyat@Work, my contact at the scene. “When the verdict was read out, everyone erupted in jubilation so much so the judge had to admonish the crowd and remind them it was a court of law. We couldn’t help it though! A lot of people were crying openly.”



