An opposition politician from Bangladesh intends to submit testimony from an expert witness from his country in support of his habeas corpus application for alleged wrongful detention.

Lawyer Kee Shu Min, representing MA Quayum, 61, informed High Court judge K. Muniandy that the testimony of the witness, a lawyer, will be affirmed via affidavit to the court within three weeks.

"So far, only one expert witness and the applicant himself (Quayum) have affirmed affidavits, and if necessary, we will include affidavits from other relevant parties,” the lawyer said on Friday (April 5).

Meanwhile, Kee said her client has been released under a special pass issued by the Immigration Department after the court allowed Quayum's application to defer his deportation to Bangladesh pending completion of the habeas corpus application.

"The pass is renewed every month and will expire tomorrow (Saturday, April 6). Therefore, we request the court to issue a trial notice to facilitate the renewal of the special pass at Immigration,” she said.

Justice Muniandy allowed the application and fixed July 3 for the habeas corpus hearing.

The politician, who is from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), filed the habeas corpus application on Jan 15, seeking his release and to stay his deportation pending a decision on the matter.

In a supporting affidavit, Quayum’s daughter said her father, who has been living in Malaysia for the past 15 years, holds a passport and is a Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) visa holder.

She said he was detained at the Ampang Jaya district police headquarters on Jan 12 and claimed that the arrest was aimed at forcibly sending her father back to Bangladesh.

She also claimed that her father’s safety would be threatened and he would face political persecution if sent back to Bangladesh.

Source: The Star

BDST: 1350 HRS, APR 06, 2024
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