No justification for denial of bail for Khalid

The criminal justice system should not and must not be a tool to stifle political dissent.

KUALA LUMPUR: Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) has urged the police and the public prosecutor to “put an end to this farce” and release one Khalid Ismath or at the very least amend the charges leveled against him to something more reasonable and proportionate to the alleged crime and allow him to be released on bail.

Suaram was expressing shock that Khalid was charged with 11 counts under section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and 3 counts under the Sedition Act 1948 for a statement he made on social media. “The 14 charges leveled against him are unacceptable and cannot be considered as anything but a gross abuse of power,” said Suaram Executive Director Sevan Doraisamy in a statement. “In the light of the flawed charges, there was no justification for the denial of bail for Khalid.”

The NGO reiterated its stance that the excessive remand of Khalid for a post made on social media was on its own excessive and unnecessary in upholding law and order. “The extraordinary amount of charges made against him under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and the Sedition Act 1948 was even more so excessive and unnecessary.”

“This deplorable state of affairs further condemns itself when the officers in question tried to coerce a confession by offering Khalid a chance to speak to his family if he confessed to the alleged crime.”

Considering the excessive detention of Khalid when he was first arrested, the absurd amount of charges levelled against him and the shocking behaviour of the police during questioning, it is difficult for anyone to consider the actions against the accused as anything but malicious in nature, warned Sevan. “The clear intent to intimidate the public and possible dissenters is outrageous and should not be permitted in any democratic nation.”

The criminal justice system should not and must not be a tool to stifle political dissent, continued the NGO.

The abuse of these laws against a political statement and the usage of Special Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 against political dissent cannot and must not be an established practice in Malaysia, added Sevan.