Latest news with #AmnestyInternationalMalaysia
Borneo Post
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Govt urged to stop weaponising laws against voices of UMS students
KOTA KINABALU (May 24): Amnesty International Malaysia has urged the government to drop all investigations against six students from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) who were summoned to the Kota Kinabalu district police headquarters (IPD) for investigations under Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (1998). Its Interim Executive Director, Vilasini Vijandran, said the investigation of thebstudent activists is a deeply concerning attack on freedom of expression. Peacefully voicing criticisms and making demands through a press conference should never be treated as criminal offenses. 'The timing of these investigations — just weeks ahead of the Perhimpunan Aman Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0 rally in Kota Kinabalu — also sends a chilling message of intimidation by the Malaysian authorities. The Madani government must recognize that targeting student activists in this way not only suppresses youth voices but also risks fostering a culture of fear and self-censorship among them,' she said in a statement on Saturday. Vilasini said a moratorium on investigations under the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) is meaningless if authorities continue to rely on other repressive laws to stifle civic participation. 'This incident proves why amending the PAA alone is not enough — without systemic reforms and genuine respect for human rights, there will always remain ways to clamp down on public dissent. 'We urge the government to drop all investigations against the UMS students and commit to comprehensive legislative reforms that protect — not punish — peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. At this juncture, we need more than vague promises and minor amendments to legislation; we need the political will and systemic reform to dismantle the arsenal of laws used to silence public dissent in Malaysia,' she said. On May 22, the six UMS student activists were summoned to IPD Kota Kinabalu following a police report lodged against them. The students are being investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code (defamation) and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (improper use of network facilities) after holding a press conference related to the upcoming Perhimpunan Aman Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0 rally, scheduled for June 21–22 in Kota Kinabalu. This is not the first time UMS student activists have been targeted. In February 2025, UMS student leader Fadhil Kasim was charged under the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) — for failing to provide prior notice of an assembly — despite the government's earlier pledge to reform the law. The charges were later dropped following widespread pressure mounted by the public and civil society groups. Amnesty International Malaysia has repeatedly highlighted how the use of outdated laws to investigate and harass activists in Malaysia reflects a broader pattern of repression and undermines the credibility of the government's own reform commitments.
Free Malaysia Today
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Govt urged to halt crackdown on rights amid ‘eroding' civic space
Amnesty International Malaysia said the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 continues to be used to criminalise protests despite constitutional and international protections for the right to gather. PETALING JAYA : Amnesty International Malaysia has called on the government to uphold human rights after highlighting what it described as a deepening erosion of civic space in 2024. At the launch of its annual State of the World's Human Rights report, the organisation said that Malaysia, like many countries worldwide, had taken troubling steps backward in areas such as freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and the treatment of migrants and detainees. The report, covering 150 countries, outlined a global increase in censorship, surveillance, and violence against dissenters. Amnesty International Malaysia said that even powerful states such as permanent members of the UN Security Council contributed to undermining the international human rights order. In Malaysia's case, the NGO pointed to several trends that it found concerning, including the continued use of restrictive laws and a lack of progress on long-standing civil liberties issues. While it acknowledged a reduction in the number of people on death row, it said this was overshadowed by wider backsliding in other areas. Amnesty International Malaysia interim executive director Vilasini Vijandran said that despite electoral promises by the government, there had been little effort to reverse entrenched restrictions on free speech. She cited the continued use of laws such as the Sedition Act 1948 and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 to target artists, activists, and critics. Among the cases highlighted were that of Mukmin Nantang, who was investigated for sedition after defending the rights of the Bajau Laut community, and artist Fahmi Reza, who was arrested for his satirical artwork targeting a political figure. Amnesty International Malaysia also expressed concern over amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act and the passage of the Online Safety Bill, which it said could give the government sweeping powers to regulate online content without sufficient safeguards. The NGO also raised alarms over the state of peaceful assembly in Malaysia, noting the continued use of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA) to criminalise protests despite constitutional and international protections for the right to gather. One example cited was the arrest of stateless Bajau Laut students in Sabah who had protested for better access to water, which Amnesty International Malaysia said sent a 'chilling message' to young people. While Amnesty International Malaysia welcomed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's plans to amend the PAA, starting with the removal of a section requiring venue-owner permission for protests, it said the government had yet to clarify whether broader, meaningful reforms to the Act would follow. The NGO also criticised Malaysia's treatment of refugees, migrants, and detainees, which it said remained one of the most pressing human rights concerns in 2024. 'From arbitrary detention to unchecked abuse (in detention centres), the government's current approach not only dehumanises people in search of safety and a better life but entrenches a system of impunity,' said Vilasini. Custodial deaths were a concern as well, with Amnesty International Malaysia noting that at least 24 such deaths were reported between 2022 and mid-2024. It said government promises of independent oversight through the Independent Police Conduct Commission had yet to translate into real accountability. The organisation also criticised the continued use of the death penalty despite moves to reduce its application, saying courts reportedly continued to hand down death sentences, including for drug-related crimes. Amnesty International Malaysia concluded its assessment by urging the government to put human rights 'back at the heart of its agenda'. It also called for reforms that protect fundamental freedoms, ensure accountability in law enforcement, and fully abolish the death penalty.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Malaysian drug mule gets stay of execution in Singapore
A Singapore court has granted a stay of execution to a Malaysian poet, just hours before he was set to be hanged for drug trafficking, after dozens of supporters held candlelight vigils in both countries to protest capital punishment. Pannir Selvam Pranthaman was arrested in 2014 for having 52 grams of heroin and sentenced to death three years later. He is due to be hanged on Thursday, making him the fourth person to be put to death in the Southeast Asian country this year after two others were executed for drug-related crimes and one for murder. Singapore anti-death penalty activist Kirsten Han said the Appeals Court allowed the stay of execution on the grounds that there is an ongoing constitutional challenge by other death row prisoners to a section under the drug law. Although Pannir is not involved, he has said in his plea the case could potentially impact his conviction. Another factor for the stay is Pannir's complaint to the Law Society of Singapore against his former lawyer, where he is the main witness, Han said. The court in its judgement allowed his bid to mount another appeal against his conviction. "This is a huge relief and very good news, but a stay of execution is not a complete stop," said Han. "What Singapore needs now is an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty, with a view to full abolition. Pannir lives tomorrow, but as Singaporeans we must keep fighting to make sure no one is killed in our names ever again." On the 6th of February, Amnesty International Malaysia and @ADPANetwork held a press conference to call on the Msian gov't to take immediate & decisive action on behalf of Malaysian national Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, and others who are at risk of execution in Singapore. — Amnesty International Malaysia (@AmnestyMy) February 7, 2025 Singapore's strict laws mandate the death penalty for anyone caught carrying more than 15 grams of heroin and 500 grams of cannabis. However, critics say the law only targets low-level traffickers and couriers. Pannir's family, his lawyers and various rights groups noted that the Singapore court had found that he was merely a courier transporting the substance. The 36-year-old has said he didn't know he was carrying drugs. Still, the court had to hand down the death sentence after prosecutors refused to issue Pannir a certificate of substantive assistance, vouching that he helped their investigation, which would have spared him the noose, they said. Malaysian lawmakers called on their government to intervene to halt Pannir's execution and have him extradited to facilitate further investigation. The Malaysian government, which recently scrapped the mandatory death penalty, didn't respond to media queries. "We oppose the use of the death penalty on drug mules who are themselves victims in the million-dollar transactions by syndicates that are roaming free," Malaysian lawmaker Ram Karpal Singh was quoted as saying by The Star newspaper. MEDIA STATEMENTFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEStay of Execution for Pannir Selvam: A Step Towards Compassion and JusticeWe welcome with immense relief the decision by the Singapore High Court to grant a stay of execution for Malaysian citizen Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, who was… — Yuneswaran Ramaraj (@r_yuneswaran) February 19, 2025 Pannir's last-minute reprieve was hailed by dozens of supporters attending a candlelight vigil at a park in Singapore. Holding placards and torchlights, they chanted "Justice for Pannir" and "Execution is not the solution." Dozens others gathered outside the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur for a similar vigil, singing songs and reading excerpts of poems and letters written by Pannir. Pannir, the third of six children, is the son of a church pastor who worked as a lorry driver to make ends meet, said another Singapore activist Kokila Annamalai. He loves music and played in the church band growing up, she said. In prison, Pannir has penned letters, songs and poems about the anguish of being on death row and hopes of a second chance, she said. His family has shared some of his songs, which were sung by several Malaysian singers.
