KUALA LUMPUR, 10 Nov 2008: The High Court today allowed an application by recently freed blogger Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin to withdraw his habeas corpus application of 16 Sept for release from Internal Security Act (ISA) custody.
Justice Suraya Othman granted the application after Raja Petra’s counsel Malek Imtiaz Sarwar made an oral application to the court today.
“My client instructed me to withdraw it (the application) in view of the Shah Alam High Court decision to free him from the two-year ISA detention order,” Malek Imtiaz told the court.
Raja Petra was freed from detention by the Shah Alam High Court on 7 Nov.
Suraya said that since the matter had become academic, the court was allowing the application and that it was up to Raja Petra, if he wished, to seek civil action over his detention.
Earlier, Senior Federal Counsel Najib Zakaria said the Home Ministry and the Kamunting Detention Centre had no objection to Raja Petra’s application.
Raja Petra filed the habeas corpus application on 16 Sept on the grounds that his detention was unlawful and that the home minister had contravened the Federal Constitution with his action. — Bernama
