This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on April 7, 2016.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan members of parliament (MP) will march from Parliament to Bukit Aman this morning to demand the release of Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli, who was arrested on Tuesday evening for allegedly breaching the Official Secrets Act (OSA).

Seremban MP Anthony Loke said that Pakatan Harapan MPs will hand over a memorandum to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar on the matter and to call on the police not to infringe on the sovereignty of Parliament.

“We also extend the invitation to PAS MPs and Barisan Nasional MPs, because this is not about Rafizi, but about the institution of Parliament,” Loke, who is the DAP whip, told a press conference at the Parliament lobby.

In Putrajaya, Bernama reported that Rafizi was being held under remand for three days from yesterday, to assist in the investigation into the disclosure of documents and allegations pertaining to the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT).

The remand order was issued by Magistrate Nik Isfahanie Tasnim Wan Ab Rahman after Rafizi was produced in court at 1.50pm. Rafizi was accompanied by policemen and his lawyer, R Sivarasa.

Rafizi, who is a PKR vice-president and the party secretary-general, was arrested outside Parliament House at 6.20pm on Tuesday. 

Sivarasa said to reporters that several of Rafizi’s belongings, such as a computer, laptop and handphones, were confiscated by the police who called the PKR headquarters in Damansara, the elected representative’s service centre, and house in Kampung Pandan.

LTAT had said in a statement that it had initiated legal action against Rafizi over his allegation about the payment of gratuities to LTAT veterans.

LTAT chairman Tan Sri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor said Rafizi’s allegations were slanderous, malicious and were intended to destroy LTAT’s reputation and credibility.

In Kuala Lumpur, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia said he would find out whether Rafizi’s arrest violated Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders. 

He said he would make a ruling on the matter after having compiled information from the relevant parties.

Last week, Rafizi made public information from the Auditor-General’s Report on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) which is classified under the OSA.

He had said that his action was aimed at showing that 1MDB and LTAT were allegedly misleading the people with regard to payment for the relocation of the airbase under the Bandar Malaysia project.

The opposition MPs earlier brought up Rafizi’s arrest to Pandikar Amin, demanding a ruling that the arrest was in contempt of Parliament, after a motion was passed to request the IGP to ensure that MPs can attend parliamentary sittings without hindrance. 

The speaker said he will study the matter to see what constitutes the Parliament compound.