URGENT APPEAL
12 October 2015
MALAYSIA: ARBITRARY ARREST OF ACTIVIST UNDER SEDITION ACT 1948
Khalid Mohd Ismath is a Malaysian activist and a member of the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM). He was a student activist, highlighting many issues of human rights violations and misuse of power by the enforcement authorities.
On 7 Ocotber, 2015, Khalid Mohd Ismath was arrested at this office under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. He arrested under the pretext of contravening this act by posting offensive comments on facebook. Although he was supposed to be released on the 9 October, 2015 at the end of his remand period, he was maliciously arrested again under the infamous Sedition Act 1948 that same night.
The police have obtained a further detention order against him, by throwing heavy charges against him. Khalid Ismath is now accused of insulting the Malaysian King and Royalty and the police force. He is now remanded till Tuesday, 13 October 2015.
The rearrest under the Sedition Act 1948 was done in reference to a police report made by the same investigating officer whom arrested him under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. The police have used the first arrest to detain him and seize his mobile phone and computer to extract any information which can be used against him to detain him further. This is a blatant misuse of power by the police force, proves that they had no evidence against him nor any complaint from the public.
The Sedition Act has been increasingly used to curtail public dissent and freedom of expression. The government via the police force is instilling fear among the activist by detaining and punishing anyone whom criticize the authorities.
We demand that Khalid bin Mohd Ismath be released immediately without condition and refrain from using the Sedition Act 1948 to intimidate activists.
We hence call upon fraternal organisations around the world to send your protest letter to the following:
Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi
Minister of Home Affairs
Ministry of Home Affairs
Block D1 & D2, Complex D,
Administrative Center,
Federal Territory, 62546
Putrajaya
MALAYSIA
Fax: +603-88891613/ +603-88891610
E-mail: ahmadzahid moha.gov.my
Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Khalid bin Abu Bakar
Inspector-General of Police
Ibu Pejabat Polis Diraja Malaysia,
50560 Bukit Aman,
Kuala Lumpur
E-mail: rmp rmp.gov.my
Twitter: @KBAB51
Please send a copy of your protest letter to pusat partisosialis.org and int.psm gmail.com (for record keeping purposes)
Any enquiry, please contact Sivarajan, Secretary General PSM +6010 2580455 or e-mail: sivarajan.a gmail.com
OR
Sevan Doraisamy , SUARAM ( Malaysian Human Rights NGO) at +6016 970 8370 ,
Email: ed suaram.net
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Dato Seri/Tan Sri,
RELEASE KHALID BIN MOHD ISMATH IMMEDIATELY
We__________________________________ call upon the Malaysian police to immediately release Khalid bin Mohd Ismath, and activist and a member of the Parti Sosialis Malaysia,(PSM) whom has been detained since last Wednesday, 7 October 2015 and taken to Johor Bahru Selatan Police District Headquarters, Johor, Malaysia. He is now being detained at remand centre in Johor Bahru.
On 7 Ocotber, 2015, Khalid Mohd Ismath was arrested at this office under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Act, 1998. He was arrested under the pretext of contravening this act by posting offensive comments on facebook. Although he was supposed to be released on the 9 October 2015 at the end of his remand period, he was arrested again under the infamous Sedition Act 1948 that same night.
We understand that the rearrest under the Sedition Act 1948 was done in reference to a police report made by the same investigating officer whom arrested him under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. The police have used the first arrest to detain him and seize his mobile phone and computer to extract any information which can be used against him to detain him further.
This is a blatant misuse of power by the police force, proves that they had no evidence against him nor any complaint from the public. He is now remanded till Tuesday, 13 October, 2015. We fear his detention will be further extended.
We feel that the Sedition Act has been increasingly used to curtail public dissent and freedom of expression. The government via the police force seems to be instilling fear among the activists by detaining and punishing anyone whom criticizes the authorities.
We demand that Khalid bin Mohd Ismath be released immediately without condition and the authorities refrain from using the Sedition Act 948 to intimidate any activist again.
Thank you .
Yours sincerely,