KUALA LUMPUR – Former PKR member Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah is seeking to sue the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), its chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki and the government.
According to the originating summons filed at the high court here on February 26, Syarul Ema, better known by the moniker “Ratu Naga”, is alleging that she was denied her right to legal representation when she was detained by the anti-graft body on February 16.
The TikTok content creator for Perikatan Nasional (PN) is represented by Messrs Daim & Gamany, the law firm founded by former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin.
Syarul Ema is seeking a court declaration that she has a constitutional right under Article 5 of the Federal Constitution to legal representation during questioning under Section (30)(1)(a) of the MACC Act 2009.
She is also seeking a declaration that the denial of her right to counsel during interrogation by MACC is unlawful and a violation of her right to liberty and equality before the law.
The case will be heard on March 12 via e-review.
On February 16, it was reported that Syarul Ema was picked up by MACC officers after they raided her house at Jalan Klang Lama.
While Azam had then said that the graft busters were merely summoning Syarul Ema to record her statement and facilitate investigations under Section 16 of the MACC Act which deals with bribery, Syarul Ema’s lawyer had insisted that her client was under arrest.
The lawyer, Nabila Khairuddin, also said Syarul Ema had been denied access to legal representation and barred from seeing her husband prior to her release by the MACC later that same day.
In October last year, police summoned Syarul Ema for investigations into reports on social media posts allegedly slandering the prime minister’s wife and Bandar Tun Razak MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain confirmed that she had appeared at Bukit Aman police headquarters to record her statement but was not cooperative when answering 33 questions in the police inquiry. – March 8, 2024