PETALING JAYA: An Amanah leader has warned that the future of the country’s youth is in jeopardy after the authorities charged two politicians and a student activist for taking part in protests in Kuala Lumpur last month.
Terengganu Amanah chief Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah said the charges appear to be a form of “selective prosecution” intended to demoralise youths from voicing out their concerns.
“If this continues and the government intends to break the spirit of the youth, the future of the younger generation is in jeopardy and the fate of Malaysia is very dark,” he said in a statement.
On Thursday, Amanah’s Hasbie Muda, Batu PKR youth chief Sabda Suluh Lestari Yahya and student activist Aliff Naif Mohd Fizam, were charged with failing to notify the police five days before staging their gatherings in protest of recent issues.
They were charged under Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 at different magistrates’ courts in Kuala Lumpur.
Raja Kamarul questioned how the country’s future generations could thrive if such prosecutions continued.
“If the freedom of expression by the youth continues to be suppressed and they continue to be dragged to court, there will be no future for them,” he said.
Hasbie’s charge was related to an event he had allegedly organised at Masjid Jamek, Kampung Baru on July 1, while Sabda’s charge concerned a protest in front of the Sogo shopping complex on July 9.
Aliff’s charge also involved a protest against the rise in the price of goods, held in front of Sogo on July 23.
All three pleaded not guilty and the court set Sept 21 for case mention.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) Youth later slammed the authorities for charging the three, claiming it was “politically motivated” and intended to “intimidate the youth”.
It called for the charges to be dropped, adding that they were a waste of court resources. - FMT
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