Umno to give legal aid to youth chief

PETALING JAYA: Legal assistance will be provided to Umno Youth chief Dr Muhammad Akmal Saleh who is being investigated by the police, says the party’s secretary-general.

Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said he had spoken to Dr Muhamad Akmal on the phone regarding his detention yesterday, in which he gave statements to the police and was then released.

“Umno has asked lawyers and party legal adviser Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun to assist Dr Muhamad Akmal,” Asyraf said in a Facebook post yesterday.

The youth leader, he added, had also given his full cooperation to the police.

Dr Muhamad Akmal was in Sabah to attend Umno’s Kembara Ramadan programme in Beaufort when he was brought to the Kota Kinabalu police headquarters upon his arrival at the airport.

That came following criticisms of Dr Muhammad Akmal, who had been calling for action and boycott against KK Super Mart over the socks issue after a picture was uploaded on social media showing him wielding a sword.

PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden said he was disappointed over Dr Muhammad Akmal’s detention as he was just being vocal about the issue of socks bearing the word “Allah”.

He also urged that similar action be taken against anyone who stirred up 3R (race, religion and royalty) issues.

Bersatu Armada chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal questioned the need to detain Dr Muhamad Akmal when there was already a plan to question him at the Dang Wangi police headquarters today.

He also questioned the government’s stand on the use of the Sedition Act, under which the Umno man is being probed.

“Bersatu Armada sympathises and stands in solidarity with Dr Muhammad Akmal over his detention,” he said.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said no politicians were spared from police investigations despite being from the government.