Sunday, September 7, 2014

UNAFRAID OF JAIL A YOUNG FATHER FIGHTS MALAYSIAN SEDITION ACT

Muhammad Safwan Anang (pic), activist and young father of an 8-month-old girl, does not fear going to prison again for his political beliefs.
Instead of keeping his head down and trying not to draw anymore attention to himself, Safwan is revving up his fight against the government that wants to silence him and others like him under a colonial-era law against "seditious tendency". 
Safwan and fellow activists from a coalition of other youth groups will take their campaign against the Sedition Act 1948 nationwide starting on Malaysia’s 51st birthday on September 16. 
The plan is to flood the Klang Valley with anti-Sedition Act flashmobs, starting at the light rail transit (LRT) stations.
“Since I am already a victim, we might as well continue (the campaign),” the 25-year-old told The Malaysian Insider.
The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court had sentenced Safwan to 10 months' jail on Friday after finding him guilty of making seditious statements in a speech at a May 13 forum last year in the capital city.
The court found Safwan guilty of instigating the crowd to overthrow a lawfully elected government through unlawful means. 
Safwan was found guilty under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 which carries a maximum RM5,000 fine and jail sentence or both.
“The court decision did catch my family and I by surprise. We had thought that it would just be a fine,” the student activist said.


He was freed after posting bail of RM15,000 and is appealing against the sentence. While he awaits the outcome of his appeal, which will probably take about six months, Safwan will continue with the anti-Sedition Act campaign. - See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/unafraid-of-jail-a-young-father-fights-the-sedition-act#sthash.qs1i9rML.dpuf

Safwan was found guilty under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 which carries a maximum RM5,000 fine and jail sentence or both.
“The court decision did catch my family and I by surprise. We had thought that it would just be a fine,” the student activist said.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/unafraid-of-jail-a-young-father-fights-the-sedition-act#sthash.qs1i9rML.dpuf

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