KUALA LUMPUR – Students who attended a forum on democracy should not have been summoned by police, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) said today, adding that it was “disappointing” this had occurred under a Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led government which had promised reforms.
LFL director Zaid Malek said the summoning of four students from Universiti Sains Malaysia after they attended the forum by activist and graphic designer Mohd Fahmi Reza Mohd Zarin was unacceptable.
“Political activism and creating democratic awareness are not crimes.
“It is an exercise of free speech and assembly that is protected under Article 10(1)(a) and Article 10(2)(a) of the federal constitution,” Zaid said in a statement today.
He also said that a healthy democratic process must allow ideas to be shared without police intervention.
“A healthy democratic process depends on the free marketplace of ideas in any form, whether it happens online or physically, and it must be protected from police action,” he said.
“There is no reason, then, for the students to have been called by police or that a police investigation should be conducted on Fahmi Reza’s Kelas Demokrasi,” he added.
Zaid said PH had vowed reforms and freedom of speech, and again urged the government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to uphold this promise.
“The PH political bloc from whom the new PM Anwar Ibrahim comes, in its manifesto, has already promised that freedom of speech will be empowered under their rule.
“This promise must be kept. Otherwise, it would be a flagrant breach of a solemn undertaking given to voters.
“Therefore, we urge the new government and Anwar to uphold civil liberties and give the necessary policy directives to the enforcement bodies.”
Zaid also urged the inspector-general of police to cease investigations into Fahmi and his forums, called Kelas Demokrasi, as well similar events of that nature.
The summoned students had attended a Kelas Demokrasi session in Penang last month.
Yesterday, the four were called up by the Timur Laut police division to give statements.
Fahmi’s talks, held prior to the recent general election, were aimed at educating students to make informed decisions when voting.
A few of his talks were stopped, including the ones at University Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Mara, Shah Alam. – The Vibes, December 8, 2022
