Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus said the case is being investigated for several offences, including obstruction of a public servant, incitement, criminal intimidation, and trespass.

“The suspects have been remanded for three days starting today,” he told a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters.

Fadil said two reports were received in connection with the incident.

Several groups yesterday criticised the arrests of activists – Mandiri coordinators Hamdin Nordin and Fakrurrazzi Khairur Rijal, and Liga Mahasiswa Malaysia’s Ahsanul Akmal Sulam – and called for their immediate release.

Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth, and the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall’s youth section and civil rights committee urged the authorities to uphold the protesters’ freedom of expression.

Azam was about six minutes into his speech at an event at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur when a protester, holding up a placard, appeared in front of the stage where he was speaking.

Another emerged from behind seconds later, carrying a placard that called for Azam’s arrest, believed to be in relation to the MACC chief’s shareholdings issue.

They were escorted out of the hall by security personnel, with the disruption lasting just a short while.

While earlier reports said two protesters were involved, lawyer Balqis Qisteena Zeedren confirmed that three activists were detained following the incident.