Thursday September 18, 2008 MYT 3:03:55 PM

24-hour remand for blogger Kickdefella

By IAN MCINTYRE

(The Star) KOTA BARU: Police on Thursday obtained a 24-hour remand order for blogger Syed Azidi Syed Aziz, better known as Sheih Kickdefella, who is under investigation for posting allegedly seditious statements on his blog.

He was brought to court around 1pm under escort by two burly plainclothes policemen in an unmarked four wheel drive vehicle.

Handcuffed, Syed Azidi who is an employee of the Kelantan Mentri Besar Incorporated firm, smiled and waved to a small group of supporters led by PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa at the magistrate’s court.

He is schedule to be brought to Kuala Lumpur later for further investigations under Section 4 (1) of the Sedition Act.

It is believed that the investigations are centred on his blog post calling for people to fly the national flag upside down as a protest to certain Federal Government policies and its leadership.

According to his wife Bariah Ishak, her husband looked pale and his lips were dry so she was worried because he suffers from low sugar levels.

”He is cautious about his food intake because his mother is a diabetic so I hope the police would consider his condition and perhaps offer him a carbonated drink when he breaks fast.”

Bariah, 37, said in the few moments she had to speak with him, Syed Azidi informed that he only received two packets of plain water besides some food since he was detained on Wednesday at the couple’s home in Demit.

The couple have four young children who have not been told of their father’s arrest but merely told that he has to travel to Kuala Lumpur.

Husam who is a close friend of the blogger, later told a press conference that this detention was a form of selective prosecution and that it was to intimidate bloggers active in cyberspace.

He would appoint lawyers to fight any charges posed against Syed Azidi.

State Deputy CPO SAC (II) Amir Hamzah Hussin said he was informed that the blogger would be brought to Kuala Lumpur since the police report concerning seditious statements was lodged there.

It is also learnt that the police have seized his laptop and several compact dics from his home.