Rights group Lawyers for Liberty has condemned what it described to be a "heavy-handed" approach by police against two Form Five students seen in a viral video uttering obscenities over their SPM History paper.
LFL director Zaid Malek said the reported police raid at their homes, followed by arrest and a drug test, would have caused the two 18-year-olds and their family "extreme trauma".
"And all this over a video where they vented their frustrations on their SPM History paper,” said Zaid.
"Even if there were unsavoury comments uttered, it does not warrant the intervention of the police force. It should have been a matter for the school authorities and their parents.
"They were just teenagers who were being childish and they already apologised for the video, yet they were treated like hardened criminals," he added.
Yesterday, Hulu Selangor district police chief Suffian Abdullah confirmed the arrests and said the action followed a report lodged by a teacher at their school.
He said the two students were remanded until today for investigations under Section 14 Minor Offences Act 1995 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Commenting further, Zaid said the continued existence of section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) which is being used against the boys is a bane to freedom of speech, and contrary to promises of reform by the Pakatan Harapan government.
"Though freedom of speech is not unfettered, the right should not be limited lightly.
"Criticisms on the government should not be criminalised, and childish vents by teenagers even less so.
"Are we to subject every teenager to arrest and prosecution for simply ranting online? Is this what we have come to?
"We strongly condemn the overzealous and arbitrary actions of the police in dealing with the arrest of the teenagers and urge that all police action cease and the matter be handed to school authorities," he stressed.
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