QUESTION:

`Kanaki a very active young lady aspired to be an army commando. She felt she had a physical strength and capability to be a member of elite unit of The Malaysia Armed Forces. She was encouraged by her close friend Kausar who was just interested to join but was not physically fit as Kanaki. They applied to the Ministry of Defence but receive a reply that the Armed Forces does not recruit woman into their commando unit owing to the intense nature of the missions that this unit is involved in.

This angered Kanaki and Kausar. Both of them decided to demonstrate outside the gate of Ministry of Defence. They took along one of their friends Khalil and the three of them held up banners with the words "Ministry of Defence is male chauvinist". As an army general was leaving the gates in his car. Kausar in a fit of anger threw a coconut from one of the nearby stalls towards the car. A policeman who was on duty nearby saw the coconut flying and immediately pounced Khalil and while sitting on Khalil's stomach arrested him. When Khalil protested and asked why he was being arrested, the policeman simply said because "I detest your face".

Soon a police car arrived with Deputy Superintendent of Police DSP Iqbal who went up to Kanaki and Kausar and arrested them for illegal assembly and sedition. At the police station DSP Iqbal told Kanaki, Kausar and Khalil that their right to see their lawyer would be delayed indefinitely as he had the right to do so pending investigations.

`After three days they were finally allowed to contact you, their legal counsel. At the police station, you were allowed to meet your three clients in a room measuring four meters by four meters where DSP Iqbal sat together observing your discussion with your clients.

Advise your clients on all the constitutionallaw issues that have arisen.