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Wednesday, September 10, 2014

USM students in Penang stage protest in support of Azmi Sharom

Protesters at Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang carry a banner calling for the abolition of the Sedition Act. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, September 10, 2014.Protesters at Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang carry a banner calling for the abolition of the Sedition Act. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, September 10, 2014.
Some twenty-odd student protestors and supporters gathered at the entrance of Universiti Sains Malaysia's (USM) campus in Penang today in support of Universiti Malaya law lecturer Associate Professor Dr Azmi Sharom, who was charged with sedition in Kuala Lumpur last week.
While police and security officers watched, the group delivered speeches and held up a banner calling for the abolition of the Sedition Act.
The event was organised by USM's Student Progressive Front.
"The Sedition Act has been frequently misused by the government to clamp down on the opposition and dissidents," he said.
"This action not only violates our freedom of expression, but also displays the behaviour of an authoritarian regime," Lee said.
He said the group's demands were for the charges against Azmi and others in "selective prosecution" cases to be dropped.
They also called for the authorities to respect academic freedom for students and academicians.
"Third, we urge Prime Minister (Datuk Seri) Najib Razak to fulfil his promise to repeal the Sedition Act 1948,” he added, referring Najib's speech statement to do away with the draconian law in July 2012.
Also present at the protest were veteran civil rights activists Dr Mustafa K Anuar, Dr Wong Chin Huat and Anil Netto, as well as PKR lawmakers Sim Tze Tzin, Afif Bahardin and Lee Khai Loon.
Wong said the move to charge Azmi was a threat to people's freedom.
He said the Sedition Act caused the "criminalisation" of the mind, and its use should be opposed, even on leaders of groups such as Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) who have come out with controversial statements against the Chinese community.
The gathering, which was held on campus grounds, was briefly interrupted when USM security personnel told organisers to move out of the campus to prevent outsiders from entering.
The organisers agreed and the protest was moved along Jalan Sungai Dua near the gate, where Lee completed his speech before the group dispersed about 30 minutes later.
Azmi, who is an associate professor at UM, was charged with sedition at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on September 2, over a report citing his views on the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis.
Azmi is the first academic to be hauled up by Putrajaya and charged under the colonial-ear law which critics want repealed.
- TMI

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