KUALA LUMPUR – Police will not be pursuing their case against Refuge for the Refugees founder Heidy Quah over an alleged offence under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, the activist said.
Despite being tipped to be charged over the matter, Quah said the investigating officer (IO) for the case had informed her that she will not be brought to the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex tomorrow.
“The IO informed me earlier tonight that I will not be charged,” she told The Vibes briefly.
On Facebook earlier today, Quah had said she expected to be charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the act, which covers the posting of content with the intention to annoy others.
“These charges come again for the second time, following a Facebook post I wrote to amplify the then director-general of Health, (Tan Sri Dr Noor) Hisham Abdullah’s concerns on the mass arrest of refugees and migrants in the hundreds during the lockdown, which led to detention centres fast becoming Covid-19 hotspots given the cramped living conditions.
“This is utterly ridiculous, and not what I expected when we voted for a new government.
“This re-charge is the new government condoning what the old government is doing by silencing legitimate criticism against the government,” she said in her post today.
Previously, Quah was charged under the same section on July 27, 2021 for posting content online concerning conditions faced by refugees in immigration depots.
Today, Quah reiterated that such charges are a form of harassment against herself and the communities that she serves.
“The time, energy, and resources spent battling a case that is systematically flawed, unfair, and unjust once again takes away precious time and resources on the ground to do meaningful and impactful work.
“Not only is freedom of speech and expression a basic human right but having an individual pinned down for sharing the realities on the ground is state-sponsored violence against women,” she said. – The Vibes, February 14, 2023
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