Umany ex-president to be charged tomorrow

 

UM Association of New Youth (Umany) former president Wong Yan Ke is scheduled to be charged at the Petaling Jaya Magistrate's Court tomorrow.

"My guarantor who signed the document when I was released under police bail received a call from the police, informing her that I will be charged tomorrow," he told Malaysiakini this afternoon. 

According to Wong, he would be charged under section 188 of the Penal Code, which relates to "disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant".

Federal CID deputy director Mior Faridalathrash Wahid later confirmed this with Malaysiakini in a text message.

Section 188 reads: Whoever, knowing that by an order promulgated public servant lawfully empowered to promulgate such order he is directed to abstain from a certain act, or to take certain order with certain property in his possession or under his management, disobeys such direction, shall, if such disobedience causes or tends to cause obstruction, annoyance or injury, or risk of obstruction, annoyance or injury, to any person lawfully employed, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or with fine which may extend to RM400 or with both; and if such disobedience causes or tends to cause danger to human life, health or safety, or causes or tends to cause a riot or affray, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to two thousand ringgit or with both.

Wong was arrested on Nov 7 when police raided the house of his successor Yap Wen Qing in relation to a probe on an article published by Umany on the role of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

His lawyer Chong Kar Yan, who was at the scene, said his client was arrested for recording a video of the police team.

Petaling Jaya district police chief Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal later told the media that the arrest was for obstructing a public officer.

Meanwhile, police are investigating Umany under the Sedition Act as well as the Communications and Multimedia Act over the article, which saw a deluge of reports lodged against the association.

The Oct 30 article followed the Agong's rejection of the government's request for an emergency declaration and His Majesty advising all MPs to support the Budget 2021.

Umany had argued that the king "should not interfere in national affairs, must always maintain a neutral attitude and play his role within the framework permitted by the constitution".

However, in a Facebook posting today, the association retracted the article and apologised to the monarch. - Mkini