KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — The University of Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) has withdrawn a Facebook post deemed critical of the Agong and issued an apology.
In a statement today, Umany said it had reached the decision after discussions with several constitutional experts.
The student union added that it wished “to affirm our adherence to the constitutional monarchy system in Malaysia and respect the role of Yang di-Pertuan Agong in the Constitution”.
“We would like to apologise to Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the public for our lack of thorough understanding of the Constitution,” it said in a statement to the press.
Umany reiterated that the post was for the purposes of academic discussion and that no malicious damage or sedition was ever intended.
In the same statement, it also urged the government to stop all and future investigations under the Sedition Act and Communications and Multimedia Act.
“As the Sedition Act and Communications and Multimedia Act are in fact archaic and draconian laws that trample on freedom of speech, we call upon the police to halt all investigations and possible prosecutions under these Acts, and urge the government to repeal the draconian laws immediately in order to safeguard freedom of speech for every citizen,” it said.
On November 8, the media reported Bukit Aman CID deputy director (Investigation and Legal) DCP Mior Faridalathrash Wahid as saying that the police were investigating the Umany president under the Sedition Act over the posting.
Meanwhile, the University of Malaya was also previously reported to be conducting its own investigations into the post entitled “Yang di-Pertuan Agong should not intervene in national affairs” which was shared on Umany’s Facebook page on October 30.
