Activist called up to Bukit Aman for allegedly insulting Agong

Former student activist Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi is being investigated under the Sedition Act 1948 for his speech last month which had allegedly insulted the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V.

Asheeq told Malaysiakini that this morning, three officers from Bukit Aman presented him with a notice summoning him to the police headquarters for further questioning at 2pm tomorrow.

"I was shocked by their visit because normally, I only receive calls to attend investigation but this time it is a visit directly to my house in Segambut by three officers," the UKM law graduate said.

"They said it was a serious case and that was why they were visiting me," said Asheeq who is currently a special projects officer at NGO Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4).

Asheeq said he was told that the investigations were based on his speech delivered outside Brickfields police station during a solidarity rally that was held last month for activist lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri (photo).

He said the video posted by blog site Mynewshub highlighted his pledge to continue fighting against the Sedition Act, as well as to remain critical of the Agong and the royal institution.

Earlier, Fadiah had tweeted to condemn the investigation against Asheeq.

"Student activist Asheeq Ali has been called in for questioning under the Sedition Act for giving a solidarity speech when I was being questioned under the Sedition Act at IPD Brickfields last month.

"This is utterly preposterous!" said Fadiah, a legal research officer at C4.

She was called in on July 11 for investigations under the Sedition Act for her article, which pertained to an image of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim kissing the hand of Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar during a May 22 audience at the palace.

Fadiah’s article questioned Anwar's move to perpetuate a "feudal culture" at a time when monarchies in many other parts of the world had supposedly been rendered obsolete.

Aside from Asheeq, it was reported that more than 30 activists had also gathered at the Brickfields District police station to show their support for Fadiah.

Subsequently, it was reported that Fadiah is being investigated under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 for failure to give a 10-day advance notice for the solidarity rally. - Mkini