Students Group Probed Under Sedition Act For Article On Agong S Role

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Police are investigating the University of Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) under the Sedition Act over an article regarding the role of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The association's president Yap Wen Qing and vice-president Tan Li Yuan were quizzed for close to three hours at the Kajang district police headquarters today.
Met later, their lawyer Rajsurian Pillai said both student leaders are being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.
Yap's mobile phone was also confiscated to facilitate investigations.
According to Rajsurian, a total of 42 police reports were lodged against Umany over the article which came in the wake of the Agong's rejection of the government's request to impose an emergency and His Majesty's advise to MPs to support the Budget 2021 Bill, which would be tabled tomorrow.
The lawyer also did not rule out the possibility of more Ummany members being summoned for questioning.
A small group that included Universiti Malaya (UM) students had gathered outside the district police headquarters to show their support for the student leaders. Others present were representatives from Amnesty Malaysia and Malaysian Action For Justice And Unity (Maju).
Members being harassed and doxxed
Speaking to the media, Yap said Umany members have been subjected to harassment on social media over the article.
He said some of them were mentally and emotionally affected after their personal Facebook accounts were “made public and doxxed”.
“They also harassed members and alumni of Umany by calling them or their parents, threatening to locate their houses or workplaces, and even threatening to harm them.
“In addition, netizens have been abusing our female members with foul language,” he added.


However, Yap vowed that the association would not be cowed.
Apart from the police, UM is also investigating the association regarding the article.
Various quarters have criticised the investigation, with one of them - the National Human Rights Network (JHAM) – terming it as the “demonisation of academic discussion”.
JHAM also cried foul over the false accusations hurled at Umany, including that it is a communist organisation and its members were attempting to dismantle the monarchical system in Malaysia. - Mkini

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