KOTA KINABALU: A student leader from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) is set to face two charges under the Peaceful Assembly Act.
Suara Mahasiswa UMS president Muhamad Fadhil Muhamad Kasim, 25, will be charged under Section 509 of the Penal Code, which pertains to using words, gestures, or acts intended to insult a person's modesty, and Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act, which requires organisers to notify the relevant police district at least five days before an assembly.
His court dates are fixed for April 21 and 22.
Suara Mahasiswa UMS had held an anti-corruption gathering outside Menara Kinabalu on Dec 31, 2024, calling for greater transparency and integrity.
According to the movement's deputy president Qistina Qaisara Syahril Akmar, Fadhil was summoned to the Kota Kinabalu district police headquarters on Feb 21.
She questioned why the investigation was taking place, saying that the government had recently called for amendments to the Peaceful Assembly Act and ceasing investigations into students involved in anti-corruption demonstrations.
"This action does not reflect the Prime Minister's guarantee and the government's commitment that no action would be taken against protestors," she said in a statement on Saturday (Feb 22).
On Feb 13, Anwar said in Parliament that a moratorium had been imposed to halt all ongoing investigations under Section 11 of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 as there were plans to amend it. The section requires rally organisers to obtain permission from venue owners.
The Prime Minister said that these amendments are scheduled to be tabled in the next parliamentary session.
The proposed amendments have been discussed and agreed upon by the government but have yet to be raised in the ongoing Parliament session.
