Cops fail to extend remand order on Namewee
Magistrate’s Court denies application by police, Namewee to be released at 5pm today with expiry of previous four-day remand order.
GEORGE TOWN: Controversial rapper and Malaysian YouTube sensation Namewee is a free man after police failed to extend his remand order at the Magistrate’s Court here.
Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, was remanded for the past four days to be investigated for “defiling a place of worship with intention to insult the religion”.
Earlier, he was taken to the George Town courthouse at 8.30am, with his hands cuffed behind his back and was led in by two police officers.
After the decision was made at 12.10pm, Namewee’s lawyer, T Tharuma, told reporters that Assistant Court Registrar Ahmad Tajudin Zaini denied the application by the police to extend the remand.
Tharuma said Tajudin had ordered for Namewee to be released immediately. However, the rapper was instead taken away by police in a marked Proton Preve car.
“They are still holding him and have taken him to Patani Road (police station). They(police) don’t want to say why he is being taken there,” Tharuma told reporters.
The lawyer said Namewee would be released at 5pm, pending the expiration of his four day remand order.
Later, Northeast district police chief ACP Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said Namewee had been brought to the Patani Road police station, to be released on police bail.
“For your information, we have referred the case to the prosecution director and later to the Attorney-General’s Chambers in Putrajaya for further instructions,” Mior told reporters in a statement.
The 33-year-old was arrested the moment he landed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport from Taiwan on Aug 21, and was later taken to Penang where he was held in police custody.
According to George Town police chief ACP Mior Faridalathrash Wahid, the arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into Namewee’s controversial music video “Oh My God”.
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The four-minute clip, which was directed and produced by Namewee for Taiwanese band Nine-One-One, was shot in several places of worship in Penang. The police have also put out an Interpol notice for the Taiwanese band members to assist with the investigation.