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PETALING JAYA: Amnesty International Malaysia has criticized the authorities ‘action against two university students for sedition, saying that the police investigation was a violation of the students’ freedom of expression.
Its executive director, Katrina Jorene Maliamauv, said the move was an “obvious attempt” to intimidate and silence the students, who were members of the University Malaya New Youth Association (Umany).
Umany Chairman Robin Yap Wen Qing and Vice Chairman Tan Li Yuan are under investigation for alleged sedition and misuse of network facilities in connection with a statement by Umany on the role of Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The group had published an article titled “Yang di-Pertuan Agong should not intervene in national affairs” on its Facebook page last week.
Wong Yan Ke, a former Umany president and student activist, was also detained after recording a video of a police raid on Yap’s home. He was released today.
“The decision to investigate these students is dire. It is a violation of their right to freedom of expression, especially considering that the Facebook post they made was intended to be part of an academic debate, ”Katrina said in a statement.
He urged authorities to drop the investigation, adding that Universiti Malaya should also work to protect its students’ rights to freedom of expression.
He also called for amendments to the Sedition Law and the Communications and Multimedia Law to comply with international human rights standards.
“Controlling ideas and penalizing students for having critical opinions only serves to dampen and damage academic discourse.
“The right to freedom of expression is a fundamental human right that should be enjoyed by all people in Malaysia, including students.”
