DAP Seputeh MP Teresa Kok was released unconditionally at 1pm today, after being held under the Internal Security Act for seven days.
Kok, 43, walked out from the Jalan Travers police station at 1.40pm, accompanied by her lawyer Sankara Nair and her personal aide, Mandy Ooi.She was greeted by her visibly elated parents.Kok was immediately hugged by her 71-year-old mother, Poon Seh Kwon, who gave her daughter a bunch of white and pink roses.
"I don't know what I've got into... I don't know what is the real reason (that) caused me to (be) put behind bars for one week," she told journalists as she left the police station.
Kok, who is also the Selangor state executive council member, expressed that she was still slightly shaken but glad that she was released."(There is) no reason at all to put me under ISA... What have I done? What have I said?" she asked.
During the whole one week, they didn't show any proof or evidence to show that I made statements that have caused racial and religious tension."The parliamentarian said that she felt like "fool" when she was incarcerated not knowing the grounds for her arrest.
When asked the reason for her release, Kok said, "I don't know... I don't know why I was charged... Of course, they have to release me; they find no case against me."Kok thanked all those who had campaigned for her release including those from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, such as "her friend" Zaid Ibrahim who had resigned as the de facto law minister following her arrest.
Deputy inspector-general of police Ismail Omar said that Kok was released after investigations showed that there was no reason to detain her any further.Kok held a press conference two hours later at the DAP headquarters in Petaling Jaya.‘Honey, I'm home; I've had a hard day'Minutes after the IT-savvy and affable politician was released, she updated her social networking Facebook account.
At 1.35pm, she posted an entry in her Facebook saying, "Teresa sings ‘Honey, I'm home, I've had a hard day, pour me a cold one da da da...", which immediately attracted comments welcoming her release.DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang also appeared to be surprised by Kok's early release.Lim wrote in his blog that he received a phone call with the caller identification ‘Teresa' at 12.56pm while he was having lunch in Ipoh, Perak and he had wondered who was using the MP's mobile phone."But it was her on the line and I wondered how she wangled the use of her phone while in detention. But no, she did no such improper thing. She told me that she was being released.
Bravo. The irresistible pressures for her unjust and undemocratic detention had succeeded," wrote Lim, who is also the Ipoh Timor MP.Last Friday, Kok was arrested under Section 73(1) of the ISA at 11.18pm, allegedly for sparking religious and racial tension ostensibly for her role in an Islamic matter.She was arrested on the same day with controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng, who was however released after 18 hours.
Kok, 43, walked out from the Jalan Travers police station at 1.40pm, accompanied by her lawyer Sankara Nair and her personal aide, Mandy Ooi.She was greeted by her visibly elated parents.Kok was immediately hugged by her 71-year-old mother, Poon Seh Kwon, who gave her daughter a bunch of white and pink roses.
"I don't know what I've got into... I don't know what is the real reason (that) caused me to (be) put behind bars for one week," she told journalists as she left the police station.
Kok, who is also the Selangor state executive council member, expressed that she was still slightly shaken but glad that she was released."(There is) no reason at all to put me under ISA... What have I done? What have I said?" she asked.
During the whole one week, they didn't show any proof or evidence to show that I made statements that have caused racial and religious tension."The parliamentarian said that she felt like "fool" when she was incarcerated not knowing the grounds for her arrest.
When asked the reason for her release, Kok said, "I don't know... I don't know why I was charged... Of course, they have to release me; they find no case against me."Kok thanked all those who had campaigned for her release including those from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, such as "her friend" Zaid Ibrahim who had resigned as the de facto law minister following her arrest.
Deputy inspector-general of police Ismail Omar said that Kok was released after investigations showed that there was no reason to detain her any further.Kok held a press conference two hours later at the DAP headquarters in Petaling Jaya.‘Honey, I'm home; I've had a hard day'Minutes after the IT-savvy and affable politician was released, she updated her social networking Facebook account.
At 1.35pm, she posted an entry in her Facebook saying, "Teresa sings ‘Honey, I'm home, I've had a hard day, pour me a cold one da da da...", which immediately attracted comments welcoming her release.DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang also appeared to be surprised by Kok's early release.Lim wrote in his blog that he received a phone call with the caller identification ‘Teresa' at 12.56pm while he was having lunch in Ipoh, Perak and he had wondered who was using the MP's mobile phone."But it was her on the line and I wondered how she wangled the use of her phone while in detention. But no, she did no such improper thing. She told me that she was being released.
Bravo. The irresistible pressures for her unjust and undemocratic detention had succeeded," wrote Lim, who is also the Ipoh Timor MP.Last Friday, Kok was arrested under Section 73(1) of the ISA at 11.18pm, allegedly for sparking religious and racial tension ostensibly for her role in an Islamic matter.She was arrested on the same day with controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng, who was however released after 18 hours.
