It's off to Kajang Prison for 'Occupy Dataran' student

Umar Mohd Azmi, the 'Occupy Dataran' student who was jailed for a month and fined RM1,000 for obstructing a public officer, will spend his weekend in Kajang Prison after failing to obtain a stay of execution on his sentence.

The stay application was filed in the Kuala Lumpur High Court immediately after a magistrate found him guilty this morning and High Court judge Amelia Tee was ready to hear the matter in the afternoon - but Umar's counsel could not locate the deputy public prosecutor responsible for the case.

As a result, Umar was this evening taken to the Kajang Prison to begin his jail sentence.

A group of students led by Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM) said they would camp outside the prison until Monday in support of Umar.

Umar's application for the stay of his jail sentence and fine is scheduled to be heard before Justice Tee on Monday morning.

Umar was charged on April 23, under Section 186 of the Penal Code, with obstructing Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) officer Mohd Masran Mamat from "apprehending and escorting" activist Mohd Fahmi Reza Mohd Zarin into custody.

This allegedly took place during a surprise DBKL raid on a protest camp at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur about 8am on April 22.

During the protest dubbed 'Occupy Dataran' , student activists had occupied the iconic square in protest against the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) student loan scheme, which they claim is unfair.

[More to follow]