LAWYER and activist Siti Kasim has been freed from the Kajang police headquarters a day after police barged into her home and arrested her on suspicion of abducting her client and obstruction of a government servant’s duties.

After spending a night in lock-up, Siti was handcuffed and taken to the Kajang magistrates’ court earlier today as authorities sought a remand order.

The court judge, however, dismissed the application.

Upon her release, the lawyer told reporters that she had tried to stop police officers from taking her client, Anis Izzaty Ruslan, away the night before.

“I’m thankful to the court for rejecting the remand application,” she said.

“I did what I did as a lawyer, because it was my responsibility.”

She said she would continue to cooperate fully with police investigating the case.

“I was merely doing my job as a lawyer. I wasn’t trying to cause any trouble,” she said.

Anis Izzaty, 24, had been in hospital to treat injuries believed to have been sustained from abuse by her mother.

Siti said Anis Izzaty’s mother had lodged a police report after her daughter was voluntarily discharged from hospital and did not return home. Anis Izzaty had instead gone to Siti’s home.

A video clip shared by Suri Kempe, programme manager of Muslim rights group Musawah, on her Facebook page last night, showed a police officer telling Siti she was being arrested under Section 186 of the Penal Code for “abducting” Anis Izzaty from hospital.

“The police are arresting me simply because they are following procedure. They know about this story that Anis Izzaty was abused by her mother and I was trying to save the girl. The girl willingly followed me,” Siti said to a friend in the video.

Anis Izzaty, in the same video, was seen telling viewers that she was not kidnapped.

“She did not kidnap me. It’s a lie,” she said.

Siti told reporters today that she tried to fight off the officers who had barged into her home.

“There were so many men around me trying to push me out, believing I was illegally holding Anis Izzaty,” she said.

Speaking to The Malaysian Insight later, Siti said her unpleasant experience with the authorities has not deterred her from wanting to continue representing her client.

“She only trusts me now. Yes, I will continue representing her.”

She said Anis Izzaty had sought her help via Facebook Messenger, claiming that she was being abused by her mother.

“She was all fine. She had a job at a legal firm… until the day the religious department came and took her in, following a complaint lodged by her mother that Anis Izzaty’s belief had been skewed.”

The lawyer, however, refuted rumours that Anis Izzaty was an apostate, saying the question of religion has not arisen, and that she is defending her client on the basis of human rights.

Siti said because she takes her responsibility as a lawyer seriously, she would do everything in her power to protect her clients.

“I don’t do things halfway.

“When I do something, I do it right, correctly and justly,” she said.

“I can be very fierce when the circumstances call for it, because I don’t suffer fools.” – June 24, 2018.